


Journey's Beginning

by Hawkerin



Series: Family Timelines [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, rewrite of end of season 4 and specials
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-16
Updated: 2015-04-20
Packaged: 2018-03-23 06:11:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 61,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3757426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hawkerin/pseuds/Hawkerin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose was pregnant on the beach. She battles her way back to the Doctor and this time, their family will not be separated. Rewrite from approximately Turn Left up to The End of Time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Darlig Ulv Stranden

Chapter One – Darlig Ulv Stranden

 

Rose got out of Pete's Jeep and stepped onto the freezing beach. _He_ had called her here. She was shocked when she'd heard him telepathically because Rose had only ever heard him like that when he went into her mind while they were making love. To hear it now, when he was a universe away seemed impossible.

 

Taking a deep breath of the brisk air, she looked around the beach, trying to catch a glimpse of the blue box that she called home. Not seeing it, she kept walking towards the spot that somehow pulled at her. When she reached it, a vision of her husband appeared, but this couldn't be right.

 

“Where are you?” Rose asked, her voice shaking slightly.

 

“Inside the TARDIS,” he replied sadly. “There's one tiny little gap in the Universe left, just about to close and it takes a lot of power to send this projection. I'm in orbit around a supernova. I'm burning up a sun just to say goodbye.”

 

GOODBYE?!! Rose's heart started beating furiously. He couldn't mean goodbye. It couldn't be true that he had given up.

 

“You look like a ghost,” Rose told him as her mind rebelled against what this could mean.

 

“Hold on,” the Doctor said as he adjusted his sonic screwdriver and pointed it toward something beside him. He looked more real now, more solid and she stepped towards him.

 

“Can I?” Rose asked as she reached out her hand to touch the beautiful face that she had missed so much these last three months.

 

“I'm still just an image. No touch,” he whispered, sounding on the verge of tears.

 

“Can't you come through properly?” she asked, positive that nothing was beyond the means of her Doctor.

 

“The whole thing would fracture. Two universes would collapse,” he admitted, as if he'd had the same debate with himself a thousand times.

 

She knew that he couldn't put their personal needs above the needs of the multiverse. Still, she couldn't help asking, “So?” He laughed a bit, knowing that she didn't really want him to destroy everything.

 

“Where are we? Where did the gap come out?” he questioned. Small talk? He was really going to burn up a sun to make small talk with her _now_? Fine.

 

“We're in Norway,” Rose told him.

 

“Norway... right,” he said and seemed to look out at the beach around her.

 

“About fifty miles out of Bergen. It's called Darlig Ulv Stranden,” she said, stumbling a bit over the Norwegian words.

 

“Dalek?” he asked, sounding like he might jump to her aid despite the certainty of fracturing the multiverse.

 

“Darlig,” she clarified, “It's Norwegian for bad. This translates as Bad Wolf Bay.”

 

The Doctor nodded, seeming taken aback a bit by the resurgence of those ominous words. They fell into a brief silence, wasting precious seconds before Rose got a hold of herself, if only slightly.

 

“How long have we got?” she asked, finally accepting that this might be the last time she ever spoke with her Doctor. Should she tell him?

 

“About two minutes,” he told her sadly.

 

“I can't think of what to say!” Rose blurted out as she contemplated what he would do if she gave him the news.

 

Her husband chuckled lightly and looked down before settling on something. He looked behind her, assured that she was being taken care of, and said, “You've still got Mr. Mickey, then?”

 

“There's five of us now. Mum, Dad, Mickey, and... the baby,” she said hesitantly. Would she tell him? Would she lie? She didn't want him to destroy everything, just because she was scared.

 

“You're not?” he asked quietly with a gaze that held a mixture of hope, fear and utter devastation at the thought of what she was saying.

 

She couldn't bear it. That devastation in his eyes. She would lie. She had sworn to herself that she would never lie to her husband, but what good would it do for him to know about this when it was impossible for him to ever hold their child. She put on a false smile, though it nearly killed her. She pulled back from the truth, hoping that he would believe her; she was a terrible liar.

 

“No. It's mum. She's three months gone. More Tylers on the way,” she said, trying to laugh at her little joke but the strain in her voice was evident.

 

He nodded, seeming to accept her answer, if only because the alternative was too painful.

 

“And what about you? Are you...” he asked, checking to make sure that she would somehow live the fantastic life that he had wanted for her.

 

“Yeah, I'm back working in the shop,” she interrupted before he could suggest that anything other than being with him would be remotely alright.

 

“Oh,” he nodded, clearly thinking that she was far too good for that. “Good for you.”

 

“Shut up. No, I'm not,” she scolded, knowing what he thought of her abilities. “There's a Torchwood on this planet. It's open for business. I think I know a thing or two about aliens.”

 

She thought about how she was currently growing one inside of herself. And where else could she go for medical attention? Could she ask him about possible complications? NO. She had decided not to tell him and she had to stick to that decision. She would figure this out.

 

“ _Rose Tyler_ , Defender of the Earth,” he said her name in the way that had always melted her heart. He sounded almost proud of her for trying to keep fighting the way they had together. “You're dead, officially, back home,” he said, frankly with his hands buried in his pockets. “So many people died that day and you've gone missing. You're on the list of the dead. Here you are, living a life day after day. The one adventure I can never have.”

 

Rose was crying openly now. She could feel that their two minutes were running out and couldn't stand the thought that this was how it would end between them. “Am I ever going to see you again?” she choked out finally.

 

“You can't,” he admitted softly. She could see rare tears glistening in his eyes. His hearts were breaking just as much as hers.

 

“What're you going to do?” she sobbed.

 

“Oh, I've got the TARDIS. Same old life, last of the Time Lords,” he replied, putting on a brave face.

 

“On your own?” she asked desperately through her tears and he nodded, unable to voice a reply.

 

“I...” she coughed and wiped her eyes as she tried again to say those most important words. They'd said them so rarely, but both of them knew the sentiment ran deep. “I love you.”

 

His tears threatened to fall, but he gave a half-smile that he hoped would give her strength. “Quite right, too,” he whispered. His voice was shaking now as he tried to force it into giving her a proper goodbye, “And I suppose, if it's my last chance to say it...”

 

She gasped through her tears and nodded that she knew as their eyes met.

 

“Rose Tyler...” he began, then faded away – he was gone.

 

Her eyes clenched shut as her world crumbled around her. He wasn't coming for them. Rose felt her mother's arms surround her and the cold, wet sand soaked through her trousers. When had she fallen to the ground? What did it matter anyway?

 

Jackie, Pete and Mickey led her back to the Jeep and she wept in the back seat while clutching at her marriage bracelet. She would never take it off. He said it was impossible, but she refused to give up. For the sake of their unborn child, she would find a way back to him.

 

After a few hours of driving, she drifted to sleep and dreamed of their wedding.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

They had finally escaped from that horrid planet. Both of them adamantly denying any truth to the words of the Beast. She would NOT die; not now.

 

Their relationship had finally started moving forward after they came back from the parallel world. The Doctor had finally admitted that he couldn't fight his feelings for her any longer and they decided to allow whatever changes might come in their relationship. That permission turned out to be a slippery slope of chaste kisses that turned far more heated and quickly accelerated into heavy petting.

 

Now, they were both terrified. So, he took her to a beautiful planet of large rock pillars and shallow puddles of sparkling water. The sky was pink and purple at sunset and they watched giant, singing creatures fly through the clouds.

 

“How long are you going to stay with me?” he asked her, looking down with a soft smile.

 

“Forever,” she said softly, taking his hand.

 

They walked silently past the many reflective pools, to a spot where they could sit together without getting wet. He sat close to her with their knees touching and took her hands, turning so that they were facing each other. With a deep breath, he seemed to be steeling himself for a decision and met her eyes with love and sincerity.

 

“Rose, I know that we just recently decided to allow our relationship to... erm... develop. To allow our feelings to show. I can't hold back any longer. I care about you more than I have ever felt for _anyone_ in my very long life. I don't know how long your forever will be, but you've offered it to me and I refuse to waste another day,” he said as he gazed at her lovingly. He didn't say that word specifically, but she knew.

 

“Rose... be my wife,” he said quickly, almost as if he were afraid of the words.

 

She stared at him disbelievingly for a moment, blinking. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that he would ask her that. Rose had considered herself the luckiest woman in the universe when he had consented to kissing her.

 

Before he could begin to think that she didn't want this for one second, she smiled and shouted, “Yes!”

 

She threw her arms around him happily and kissed his neck as she felt his arms wrap around her waist. He made a happy sound in the back of his throat and rocked her back and forth in their embrace.

 

Leaning back to look at her again, they both smiled and he reached into his pocket. He pulled out two bracelets made from a smooth, silvery metal. There were circles and lines engraved all over the surface that she at once recognized as his language from the many post-it notes stuck haphazardly all over the console.

 

“I know humans are used to wearing rings, but my people used these. They enhance telepathic connections between the wearers when they touch. I know you aren't telepathic, Rose, so it won't be much for you, but when we're holding hands, they'll attract each other and the connection will allow me to feel your emotions. You'll probably feel a tingle of mine as well. If you were telepathic, it would be so much more, but even this with you will be heavenly, Rose,” he explained as he let her examine the jewelry.

 

“Is this like an engagement ring, then?” she asked and watched as he blushed adorably.

 

“No, Rose. These are like wedding bands. Weddings weren't terribly public among my people, unless they were politically significant or something. What's important now, is what is strictly between us,” he said, looking at her for acceptance and approval.

 

“That sounds lovely, Doctor. Can we wait to tell mum about it. Let her get used to the idea that we're a proper couple first, yeah?” she asked with a reassuring smile.

 

“Yeah,” he answered and kissed her sweetly. “Without any witnesses, there really isn't any need for formal words. I'll make a telepathic link in our minds. You won't really feel it much unless our bracelets are touching, but I'll feel you there, the way I used to feel other Time Lords when they were alive. Just, an awareness of you. And I'll tell you my name.”

 

Rose looked at him curiously. She knew his name; he was the Doctor.

 

As if reading her mind, he clarified, “My REAL name. Known only to you, my wife, and never to be spoken aloud. Understand?”

 

She nodded mutely, in awe of the trust that he was placing in her. This nearly immortal god, was telling his biggest secret to a worthless little chav like her.

 

“Do you consent?” he asked as he raised his hands towards her temples.

 

“Yes, Doctor,” she whispered reverently.

 

She closed her eyes as she felt him there. Like warm, gentle caresses, sifting through her thoughts. She could feel that he was extremely happy and consumed by the love he had for her, even if he never said the words, she would know. As he made the link between their minds, she felt something uncomfortable for a moment, like poking as a space was made for the bond to live within her. Then it was over and she felt his lips against her forehead in the real world.

 

Blinking back into awareness, Rose's whiskey coloured eyes gazed into his deep chocolate ones finding everything that had been missing from her life so far. He leaned forward and whispered a long, melodic chain of syllables that she wasn't sure she'd be able to repeat even if she tried. But she felt that special spot in her mind, brand it there and lock it away, safely.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Rose was startled out of the comforting dream and found herself back in the bumpy Jeep. She was cold and her eyes burned from crying. But she felt a renewed determination burning in her heart. She would find a way back to her husband. They would be together again, somehow.

 


	2. The Struggle

Chapter Two – The Struggle

 

As soon as they returned to London, and had recovered from their trip, Rose went to Torchwood to find the best scientists they had. She needed their help if she was going to find a way back to her husband and she needed someone who could think of something the Doctor had missed.

 

Her search through the staff, eventually led her to Doctor Malcolm Taylor and Toshiko Sato. Giving them the challenge of making the dimension hoppers work again was interesting enough to get their attention. Secretly sharing the heartbreaking love story that went along with it, had them both hooked. They vowed to find a way to get her home before her little one was born.

 

Once that task was assigned (even if they had to do it in their free time and under the radar _and_ with assurances that she was available to help in any way they needed her), she reluctantly made her way to the medical department. She couldn't put off these scans any longer, but the doctors here terrified her.

 

Rose couldn't put her finger on why that was, she just knew that somehow, trusting them was a bad idea. But where else could she go? Her pregnancy needed to be monitored and she couldn't exactly head to a regular OB with a baby who most likely had a dual cardiovascular system and would probably develop telepathic abilities.

 

She was greeted by the worst of the resident Torchwood medical slimeballs, Owen Harper. “Rose, finally decided to join me for a backroom romp?”

 

“Not on your life, Owen,” Rose replied angrily. “I need your help and I need to know that I can trust you to keep this confidential.”

 

“Everything at Torchwood is confidential, Rose,” he sighed impatiently.

 

“I'm pregnant and the father isn't human,” she admitted.

 

He gaped at her a moment, then smirked disgustingly. “Oh, is THAT more your style?”

 

“Shut it, Owen. Everyone here knows that it was the Doctor that saved the whole planet from the Cybermen. You have no right to question him as my husband,” she snarled as her anger tipped over into fury.

 

Owen's eyes widened as he took in this new information. Indeed, the Doctor's reputation at Torchwood was certainly legendary. He was also not here. The thought of overseeing a half-alien pregnancy when the alien in question was in another universe, seemed dangerous at best.

 

He swallowed visibly and cleared his throat before speaking again, but he looked her straight in the eyes as he said, “I understand and... and I apologize, Rose. I can see why you would want to keep this a secret and why you need help. I know I'm not the most popular person around here, but believe me when I say that you do NOT want the other doctors here to find out about this. They would dissect your baby the instant they got their hands on it.”

 

Taking a deep breath to further calm himself and mustering as much sincerity as Owen Harper had in his body, he said, “I promise to help keep you and your baby safe and healthy, but please trust only me in this department. And keep the identity of the father an absolute secret. Who else knows?”

 

“Umm, Malcolm Taylor and Toshiko Sato in the science labs and of course, my family,” Rose said shakily as the thought of Torchwood taking her baby away made her stomach turn.

 

“Tell all of them to keep this completely silent and make up a name for the father. Say he's away, that he died in the Cyberwars or something,” he replied. At Rose's nod of agreement, he began taking several scanners and instruments out of the cabinets. “Let's get some scans and see what we're dealing with, here.”

 

From the various scans that Owen performed, the baby appeared to have variances in all of his major organ systems. Two hearts, differences in his lungs which Rose thought she remembered hearing the Doctor refer to as a respiratory bypass, a few more duplicated or larger organs and his brain structures were like nothing Owen had ever seen. He locked all of the file details away in his personal safe and made appointments to see her again every few weeks.

 

As soon as she left medical, Rose made a quick stop back with Malcolm and Tosh to make it clear to them that they couldn't tell anyone about who the father of her child was. They agreed wholeheartedly and assured her that they had several workable theories already.

 

When she arrived back at the mansion where she was living with Pete and her mum, Rose steeled herself for the truly difficult conversation. Her mother didn't know about the baby yet, still didn't even know that Rose was married to the Doctor. And now, they would have to come up with a plausible story for the father of her child.

 

Finding her mother in the kitchen, Rose sat on one of the stools at the breakfast bar and started straight in on the topic. “Mum, can I talk to you?”

 

“It's about the Doctor again, isn't it? I can tell from that tone in your voice. Why can't you just be happy here, sweetheart?” Jackie said, her disapproving tone quite clear.

 

“I'm pregnant,” Rose replied quietly. “That's why. We were married about a month before we got trapped here and I'm pregnant with the Doctor's baby.”

 

Jackie's mouth hung open in shock. The tea cup falling from her hand and shattering on the floor, made Rose flinch, but she continued sitting there, silently watching as her mum absorbed all she had revealed.

 

“Oh my god,” the older woman whispered. “What are we gonna do, Rose? How are you gonna take care of an alien baby? What if it's got tentacles or something?” Jackie's voice rose higher with each new question, until she was practically shrieking.

 

“He's not going to have tentacles, mum. One of the doctors at Torchwood did some scans today. The baby's going to be just like the Doctor and that means that we have to keep all of those details a secret. Only ONE doctor is going to know about this. And now, I have to make up something about a human father so that nobody tries to take him away and dissect him,” Rose explained as she took her mother's hands in her own.

 

“Him?” Jackie asked quietly, with tears forming in her eyes as she squeezed her daughter's hands.

 

“Yeah,” Rose said with a smile. “I'm having a little boy. The Doctor used the name James McCrimmon once, while we were travelling. I'll say that was the father's name and that he died in the Cyberwars. No one will question that around here.”

 

“Did you say that you and the Doctor got married? You got married and didn't even tell me? I'm your _mother_!” Jackie cried as her tears fell freely now.

 

“I'm sorry, mum. We were going to tell you. It was just really sudden and we wanted to give you some time to get used to us being a proper couple first. We couldn't have known that THIS would happen,” Rose apologized as her own tears started to flow.

 

Jackie released her hands and walked around the island in the kitchen to hug her daughter properly. “We'll find a way to get you back to that alien of yours, sweetheart. My grandson needs his daddy,” she said with a teary smile.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Months passed as Malcolm and Toshiko worked with Rose to try and break through the barriers of the universes. They had managed a few times to gain access to a computer system or video feed, but it was never enough.

 

Rose _was_ able to discover some of the amazing ways that the Doctor continued to save the world again, in her absence. Glimpses of him in the video feeds or photos someone had captured, now occasionally showed him in a blue suit. She remembered him telling her once that blue was the colour of mourning on Gallifrey. He'd theorized to Rose once that maybe his TARDIS knew all along that she would be the last and chose to be permanently blue for that reason. Her awareness of time was so different from any other being, it was entirely possible.

 

Rose knew why he was wearing blue now. Because she was gone. That was the day she bought what she thought of as her armour. Her first Doctor had worn black leather, now she would wear blue. It wasn't long before she couldn't close her new leather jacket around her baby bump, but she wore it anyway.

 

She was eight months pregnant when the stars started going out. It was then, that Owen showed up in her office, unannounced and visibly agitated.

 

“Rose, you've got to get out of here. You've got to go _now_ ,” he whispered urgently to her, taking her coat out of the closet, grabbing her purse and thrusting both into her arms.

 

Instantly on alert, she needed more information. “What's happened? Tell me exactly,” she demanded as she put her things on her desk and grabbed both his forearms.

 

“Someone's been in my safe, Rose. All yours and the baby's files are missing. There's not just unusual things about the baby. Your body is changing to accommodate his needs. It shows in your blood tests,” he said in a panic, tossing her things back into her hands, desperate for her to leave.

 

“Alright. I need you to get a message to Tosh and Malcolm,” she said as she started scribbling on a piece of paper. “I'm going to get my mum and dad and we are going to hide. You have my cell phone number, I will only answer if it's my family or you calling. If something happens and you can't say exactly what over the phone, say something about Norway and I'll know you've been compromised. Once we are away, Owen, protect yourself.”

 

“But what about you? You still need someone to help you deliver, Rose!” he said as he took the note from her and hid it in his pocket.

 

“If you can call me safely and get away without them following, I'll tell you where to meet me. Alright?” she asked. He nodded nervously and she gave him a quick hug and thanks before sending him off to deliver her letter.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Hidden in an underground bunker that used to be frequented by the Preachers, Rose was pacing. In the room with her were Jackie and Owen. Both tried to get her to lay down, but her body was telling her that she needed to walk between the contractions.

 

The room next door housed the machinery they had dubbed the Dimension Cannon. Malcolm and Tosh had brought everything they could when they fled Torchwood, but the relocation and lack of equipment had slowed their progress. They were now using Rose's TARDIS key to lock onto the incredible time ship that was unique in the multiverse.

 

This was their advantage over the Doctor's methods. He wouldn't have been able to properly lock onto the correct universe to travel safely. They used Rose's key as an anchor to guide the cannon in the direction of the TARDIS. Also, whatever had been causing the stars to go out, seemed to also be making holes that finally allowed them through.

 

They had downloaded a fairly thorough timeline of events happening on Earth since Rose had been trapped here. They hoped that the information would help her to locate him, once they went through.

 

The corrupt employees at Torchwood had extended the search for Rose to include her whole family, now. None of them were safe. Pete, Mickey and Jackie would have to leave with Rose and her baby.

 

Toshiko flinched and paused in her typing when she heard Rose's scream. The contractions were getting closer now and she wondered if Rose would like a hand to hold other than Jackie's. Owen had proved himself trustworthy, but he still wasn't comforting. She wasn't quite sure how to offer her company though and the intensity of the situation wasn't making her feel brave. She went back to her programming; at least she understood that.

 

Pete and Mickey were working on new identification for Owen, Toshiko and Malcolm to use once they were gone. The trio had risked everything by helping Rose, but this broken family had saved their entire world from Lumic's monstrosities and Pete Tyler had given each of them enough money to start fresh, away from Torchwood.

 

Rose had finally given up her pacing and was sitting on an exercise ball by the bed with her face buried in a pillow. Trying to take her mind off of the pain of labour, she went to her happy place, which just happened to be a memory of what got her into the situation of giving birth to a half-Time Lord baby in the first place.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Once the Doctor had fitted both of their bracelets (her left arm and his right, so that they would touch while they held hands), they walked silently back to the TARDIS and he led her to his bedroom. It was now their bedroom. When they walked into the room, she was surprised to see that while most of the room and furniture was his, her dresser, photos and nick-nacks were all scattered around this room now. It was as if the TARDIS knew exactly how to merge their rooms together in a way that made it look like it had always been that way.

 

They smiled at each other shyly. There was no need for words or asking permission. Rose and the Doctor had both been waiting for this moment. He removed her jacket as she toed off her sneakers. She pushed his long coat off of his shoulders as he loosened his tie. Undressing each other was slow and methodical, until they were both left bare and their lips finally crashed together. He picked her up, placing her gently in the centre of their large bed.

 

The sheets were soft beneath her and she shivered slightly as his cool hands ghosted over her skin. His soft lips trailed wet kisses down her neck until he reached her breast and his glorious tongue went about making her forget that there was anything in the universe but the two of them together.

 

The Doctor's fingers traced gentle circles down her side until he gripped her hip and placed one leg over and between hers. Rose's hands grasped at his thick, tangled hair desperately as he sucked and nipped at her breasts.

 

He entered her for the first time and she moaned loudly. His slightly lower body temperature somehow only fanned the flames of her arousal higher. She met him, thrust for thrust until neither were sure who was who and what was what.

 

He entered her mind and she welcomed him. Whispers of words she would never understand sang through her consciousness. Somehow she felt the meaning of them as he poured all of his love into her soul. She bared her own feelings for him and hoped desperately that he could see how much he meant to her. How he had taken a broken young girl and built her up to feel confident, beautiful and most of all, important.

 

Their bodies raced towards the precipice as three hearts beat frantically between them. His thrusts became sloppy as he struggled to wait for her and his fingers moved to help push Rose over the edge. As one, they fell in bliss and he collapsed into her arms.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Another contraction slammed into her and wrenched Rose from her blissful daydream. She suddenly had the intense need to push along with it. “It's time, Owen!” she shouted as her muscles clenched and the spasms wracked her already exhausted body.

 

Owen and Jackie helped her onto the bed and within twenty minutes, the whole thing was over. The pain of the past hours faded into a blur and Rose no longer cared about any of it as she gazed into the beautiful, eyes of her son.

 

His eyes were ice blue. She knew that most babies were born with blue eyes and that they might change, but they reminded her so much of her first Doctor, that she was almost positive _this_ was how they would stay. He was gorgeous and Rose felt connected to him in a way she could never have imagined. She knew that her baby was likely telepathic, but not even her connection to her husband ever felt this intense. Owen had said that her physiology had changed to meet the baby's needs, had she developed telepathy for his sake?

 

“What's his name?” Jackie asked softly when she came to Rose's side and adjusted the blanket over her daughter, smiling down at both of them.

 

“James... maybe Jamie?” Rose said, her voice hoarse from her screaming earlier. Everything was quiet now and she felt a contented buzz in her mind from the child sleeping in her arms.

 

“It's perfect, just like him,” Jackie said and stroked his cheek softly. “Do you want me to let the others come see him or do you need some time alone?”

 

“Why don't you take him for now while I get some sleep?” Rose asked through her exhaustion.

 

Jackie smiled like Christmas had come early and gently took her grandson in her arms to show him around.

 

In minutes, Rose was deeply asleep, dreaming of what her husband would think of their beautiful child and all of the lovely adventures they would have as they showed him the stars.

 


	3. Turn Left

Chapter Three – Turn Left

 

 

“Ok, w... we think we've got the right universe this time, Rose,” Malcolm stuttered as he adjusted his glasses nervously.

 

“I hope so. The last one had London occupied by green, dinosaur people. How long have I got before I get pulled back here?” Rose asked as she zipped her blue, leather jacket and kissed Jamie, held in her mother's arms.

 

“We can only hold you there for about five minutes. And I'm not sure how close to the TARDIS we can get you. We're using your key to lock onto it, but we might be a couple blocks away,” Toshiko explained.

 

“Well, I'll do my best to find him quickly then,” she said and stepped onto the platform of the Dimension Cannon.

 

There was a bright, white light that surrounded her and Rose found herself in a crowd of people. They were all huddled near a police barrier, pointing at the sky. She looked up and saw hundreds of little, white blobs floating up to a giant spaceship in the sky.

 

“He's definitely nearby. I just hope I'm not too late,” Rose mumbled to herself.

 

Rose set her phone to hook into the internet and download all reports about the Doctor back to the date of Canary Wharf. It would take almost the whole five minutes to do it, so she stood at the back of the crowd and watched for any sign of her husband nearby.

 

Four minutes later, her phone beeped, signalling the end of its download and she took a deep breath of air from the London of her birth. A London where her family wouldn't be hunted by Torchwood. She was almost ready to be pulled back for now, when a loud, ginger woman came around the corner on her mobile. She put something in a bin on the corner and ran over to her.

 

“Listen, there is this woman that's going to come along. A tall blond woman called Sylvia. Tell her that bin there, alright? It'll make sense. That bin there,” she said with a smile that seemed to split her face as she pointed out the bin where she had tossed something.

 

Rose wouldn't be here to tell this Sylvia person anything, but the ginger ran back towards the alley before she could say anything. Looking down, with a bit of disappointment, Rose walked away from the crowd and into the white light of the Dimension Cannon.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

“We've compiled all of the data from both the download on your phone and the bits we managed to get through the holes we detected before we had to leave Torchwood. I've got a pretty good timeline laid out of the catastrophes averted by the Doctor in the time that you've been gone. Your trip through this last time took you sort of into the middle of it, so we aren't sure when, in all of that, you'll arrive this time,” Toshiko explained.

 

“Yes, I understand. I read the reports you gave me. He travelled with someone named Martha and the latest companion is a woman named Donna. The fact that we have that information, means that I _cannot_ interfere with events until after those things have happened or we'll create a paradox,” Rose assured her that she understood the plan. “Once I'm sure that we've got the right universe and time, I'll send for the rest to come through.”

 

“You've got it! Good luck, Rose,” Toshiko said with a small smile and gave her a hug.

 

“Keep that little man of mine safe, mum!” Rose called as she prepared to jump through their adjusted portal. They found that this method was a little more violent, but would allow for longer trips.

 

With a bit of a running start, Rose jumped through the archway covered in wires and found herself abruptly running head-long down a city street. She saw police lights flashing ahead of her and kept running.

 

Glancing at the date on her mobile as soon as it synced with the local satellites, it was Christmas Eve, very shortly after she left this world. She remembered this date. There was something important happening right now, from that list. Suddenly, she saw that ginger woman from before walking sadly away from the lights.

 

Skidding to a stop, Rose asked frantically, “What happened? What did they find? I'm sorry, did they find someone?”

 

“I don't know. A bloke called the Doctor, or something,” she muttered absently with her hands in her pockets.

 

“Well, where is he?” she asked in a rush.

 

“They took him away. He's dead,” the ginger said softly. The look on Rose's face must have said it all because she continued, “I'm sorry, did you know him? I mean, they didn't say his name. Could be any doctor.”

 

“I came so far,” Rose whispered. She stared into the distance. This couldn't be true because she knew that he did things after this date. Something was wrong.

 

“It... it could be anyone,” the other woman said, trying to comfort her.

 

“What's your name?” Rose asked curiously. All kinds of strange things happened around the Doctor, maybe this was one of those instances.

 

“Donna. And you?” Donna replied.

 

_Donna_? This must be his companion, but why didn't she know him? Rose knew she couldn't interfere with events that they already knew about. Swallowing her confusion and grief, Rose tried to hide her interest in this woman's possible connection to the Doctor.

 

“Oh, I was just passing by. I shouldn't even be here. This is wrong. It's wrong. This is so wrong. Sorry, what was it? Donna what?” Rose stumbled over what to say in this situation and noticed something out of the corner of her eye as she looked at Donna.

 

“Why do you keep looking at my back?” Donna demanded.

 

“I'm not,” Rose denied. But there was something there. It had a perception filter or something that kept her from seeing it straight on.

 

“Yes, you are. You keep looking behind me. You're doing it now! What is it? What's there? Did someone put something on my back?” Donna asked as she tried to see behind her like a dog chasing its tail.

 

When Donna wasn't looking, Rose ran around the corner and pressed the button to take her back to Pete's World. With a bright flash of light, she tripped her way back into the bunker and collapsed on the floor in tears.

 

“It was all wrong! The whole thing was wrong!” she shouted.

 

“But... but it was definitely the right universe. There is only one TARDIS that your key will lock onto, Rose,” Malcolm said as he ran to her side.

 

“The date on my mobile said it was just after the thing with the big spider and Donna was there, but she didn't know the Doctor and she said he had died. They took his body away!” she explained through her tears. “There's something more though, because I couldn't see it, it was like there was a perception filter or something, but there was something on Donna's back. I could just see it out of the corner of my eye.”

 

“Ok, Rose, calm down,” Toshiko said from her computer station. “We're still connected a bit, I'll see what I can pull from their databases.” She typed furiously and seemed to be hacking into every encrypted system available.

 

Rose took a few calming breaths, then moved behind Tosh to see what she could find. According to the files, UNIT had found the Doctor's body and the TARDIS. Something vital had changed and it meant that Donna Noble wasn't with the Doctor to stop the giant spider that day. As a result, he died. Knowing all the upcoming events that depended on the Doctor's survival to be stopped, this world they had connected to, was in big trouble.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

After multiple trips through the Dimension Cannon into what they now knew was an offshoot parallel universe, Rose had connected with the soldiers at UNIT to assemble a makeshift time machine. She could only obtain minimal information from the dying TARDIS, but she was pointed to the exact moment that things had gone horribly wrong and this pocket universe was created. They had to fix this or the larger universe outside would change and those changes would be permanent.

 

Somehow, Rose eventually convinced a thoroughly sceptical Donna to come back with her to UNIT headquarters where they would finally set things right. She still couldn't keep all of the messages straight that she had delivered through the jumps, but Tosh and Malcolm had worked out every detail. About the lottery ticket to get Donna out of London, the people that were dying as they stopped the Sontarans from turning the Earth into a clone breeding planet, and the importance of Wilfred's telescope in Donna discovering the darkness and choosing to come with her.

 

Captain Magambo saluted Rose as they approached the machinery. And Rose scoffed at her, “I've told you, don't salute.”

 

“Well, if you're not going to tell us your name,” she snarked over the usual argument.

 

Rose started entering commands into the computer system to start up running the programs they would need.

 

“What, you don't know either?” Donna asked the captain incredulously.

 

“I've crossed too many different realities. Trust me, the wrong word in the wrong place can change an entire causal nexus,” Rose warned, partially parroting the words of Malcolm and Tosh, but she was really scared about messing up their one chance to make things right again.

 

“She talks like that. A lot. And you must be Miss Noble,” Magambo said in her usual gruff military tone.

 

“Donna,” the ginger said and shook the soldier's hand.

 

“Captain Erisa Magambo. Thank you for this,” the Captain introduced herself.

 

“I don't even know what I'm doing,” Donna replied.

 

“Is she awake?” Rose asked anxiously.

 

“Seems to be quiet today. Ticking over. Like it's waiting,” Magambo answered and walked slowly towards the TARDIS. She was attached to various cables running along the floor towards a large circle of mirrors and metal bars.

 

“Do you want to see?” Rose asked Donna excitedly. This Donna should get at least one chance to see the amazing time ship before events were set right and this reality ceased to exist.

 

“What's a police box?” Donna wondered as they walked towards the dark, blue shed.

 

“They salvaged her from underneath the Thames,” Rose replied. “Just go inside.”

 

“What for?” Donna asked with furrowed brows.

 

“Just go in,” Rose said reassuringly. She knew this was the Doctor's favourite part of introducing new people to the TARDIS.

 

Donna walked into the dark space, expecting nothing more than a wooden closet. Outside, her unbelieving voice was heard, shouting, “No way!”

 

Donna ran outside and looked around the blue box before she went back into the impossible space hidden within.

 

Rose smiled as Donna looked at her. “What do you think?” Rose asked.

 

“Can I have a coffee?” Donna sputtered as her brain struggled to understand what was happening.

 

Just then, an older blonde woman approached Rose and handed her a crying baby. “I'm going back as soon as you've got him fed. They said we can't be here when it all changes back.”

 

“Thanks. I'll feed him inside the TARDIS, he loves it in there. Might calm him down a bit,” Rose replied as she took Jamie into her arms.

 

One of the UNIT soldiers brought Donna a cup of coffee and the two women reentered the TARDIS. Rose sat on the jump seat and proceeded to feed her son as she spoke to Donna.

 

“Time and Relative Dimensions in Space. This room used to shine with light,” Rose said as she stroked a nearby coral pillar. “I think she's dying.”

 

The time rotor pulsed slightly at her touch and Rose felt a caress flow over her mind. It was weak, but Rose thought it was more because the TARDIS was weak than her own telepathy because she felt her son relax from the caress as well.

 

“She's still trying to help,” Rose said sadly.

 

“And, it belonged to the Doctor?” Donna asked as she circled the console curiously.

 

“He was a Time Lord. He WAS the last of his kind,” Rose told her and smiled slightly at the boy in her arms.

 

“But if he was so special, what was he doing with me?” Donna said frustratedly and threw her arms out wide.

 

“He thought you were brilliant,” Rose replied simply. He only took the best and this amazing woman was the key to saving her husband's life.

 

“Don't be stupid,” Donna snarked, sounding just like Jackie in that moment.

 

“But you are,” Rose insisted. She knew what it was like to go from feeling like you were nothing and having the Doctor change your life forever. “It just took the Doctor to show you that, simply by being with him. He did the same to me. To everyone he touches.”

 

“Were you and him...?” Donna asked and looked curiously at the baby.

 

“Yeah,” Rose said softly and pulled her shirt back into position as she put Jamie on her shoulder and rubbed his back.

 

Looking over Donna's shoulder again towards the thing that no one could see, she asked Donna pointedly, “Do you want to see it?”

 

“No,” she replied automatically. Then with renewed resolve to be whatever it was this woman thought she could be, she said, “Go on, then.”

 

Jackie took Jamie from Rose's arms as they exited the TARDIS. In an incandescent flash, she fled with him to the safety of the bunker in Pete's World through the Dimension Cannon.

 

Using the circle of strange mirrors and wires, they showed Donna the strange beetle on her back and did their best to explain what she needed to do. Rose was desperately trying to remember all of the details Malcolm had told her. He and Tosh couldn't come through to help on this side because they had discovered that there were already versions of them in this universe.

 

As soon as Donna had jumped to where she needed to go, Rose stepped into the circle and followed to the other coordinates the TARDIS had given them. She found herself watching as Donna Noble threw herself in front of an oncoming truck and new this was her last chance to get a message to her husband.

 

Kneeling beside the dying Donna, Rose said, “Tell him this. Two words.” Then, she leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Bad Wolf.”

 

At that, Rose pressed the button on the Dimension Cannon and ran into the light before this universe collapsed. Crashing into the arms of Mickey on the other side, Rose struggled to catch her breath.

 

“Where is he? Where's my baby?” Rose cried as tears streaked down her face. She took Jamie into her arms when Jackie rushed towards her. “Oh my darling, we're going home. I just know we are, sweetheart.” Jackie put her arms around her daughter and grandson, sharing in the moment and hoping desperately that all their hard work would pay off.

 

Pete and Mickey were waiting, with several large guns (just in case) and Jamie's diaper bag. Knowing this would be everything that they could bring with them into a new life, they needed to be prepared, but also ready to run.

 

Tosh was clicking away at her keyboard as she scanned the data coming through the Dimension Cannon. “I've got a lock! Get ready all of you, you're going home,” she said excitedly. “We'll keep ready here, in case you need to jump to a different location quickly.”

 

-'-{@ @}-'-

 

The Doctor prodded the immobile beetle with a stick while he talked to Donna about her experience. He wanted to know everything that she could recall.

 

“I can't remember. It's slipping away. You know like when you try and think of a dream and it just sort of goes,” Donna said as she stared into space.

 

“Just got lucky. This thing is one of the Trickster's Brigade. Changes a life in tiny little ways. Most times, the universe just compensates around it. But with you? Great big parallel world,” the Doctor mused as he considered the importance of the woman he had grown to care for like a sister.

 

“Hold on. You said parallel worlds are sealed off,” Donna said as she considered his statement.

 

“They are,” he insisted. “But you had one created around you. Funny thing is, seems to be happening a lot to you.”

 

“How do you mean?” she asked.

 

“Well, The Library and then this,” he pointed out.

 

“Just goes with the job, I suppose,” Donna said, dismissing any importance she might have.

 

“Sometimes I think there's way too much coincidence around you, Donna. I met you once, then I met your grandfather, then I met you again. In the whole wide universe, I met you for a second time. It's like something's binding us together,” he said, trying to visualize the timelines that knotted around her. She was too close to him to see them clearly though.

 

“Don't be so daft. I'm nothing special,” she scoffed, embarrassed.

 

“Yes, you are. You're brilliant,” he assured her.

 

Donna looked at him curiously for a moment and said, “She said that.”

 

“Who did?” he asked absently.

 

“That woman. The woman with a baby... I can't remember,” Donna sighed, shaking her head.

 

“Well, she never existed now,” the Doctor dismissed.

 

“No, but she said the stars... she said the stars are going out,” Donna insisted, remembering some of what had happened suddenly.

 

“Yeah, but that world's gone,” he reminded her.

 

“No, but she said it was all worlds. Every world. She said the darkness is coming, even here.”

 

“Who was she?” he asked, wide-eyed. Those implications were very bad, indeed. He needed to know who had given Donna this message.

 

“I don't know,” Donna said frustratedly. The woman had never said her name.

 

“What did she look like?” he pressed. It couldn't be, but who else would be trying to warn them of danger from a parallel world?

 

“She was... blonde,” she replied as she tried to remember details. There wasn't anything particularly distinguishing about the young lady.

 

_Blonde_? No, he couldn't dare hope. Did she say a baby? “What was her name?” the Doctor insisted.

 

“I don't know!” she said and raised her arms defensively.

 

“Donna what was her _name_?” he asked, in a panic now.

 

Donna focused inwards for a moment as new memories came to the surface. “But she told me... to warn you. She said two words.”

 

“What two words? What were they? What did she say?” he pressed, unable to contain his hope any longer. He had to know if it was really his wife. So many prophesies had said that 'she was returning.' He hadn't dared hope that it would be Rose.

 

“Bad Wolf,” Donna said finally.

 

The Doctor's jaw dropped open, his brown eyes as wide as saucers.

 

“Well, what does it mean?” she asked.

 

He jumped to his feet and ran outside. Every sign, every banner, flag, paper, even the words printed on the TARDIS all said 'Bad Wolf.' He threw open the doors to his ship to find the lights glowing red and the cloister bell ringing ominously.

 

Behind him, Donna asked, “Doctor, what is it? What's Bad Wolf?”

 

“It's ... it's my wife,” he choked out.

 


	4. Stolen Earth

Chapter Four – Stolen Earth

 

 

Panicking about what catastrophe could break down the walls between this universe and the one that had trapped his beloved, the Doctor immediately flew the TARDIS to Earth and burst through the doors. Looking around, he saw nothing out of the ordinary.

 

“It's fine... everything's fine. Nothing's wrong. It's all fine,” he said, disbelievingly, his hearts still pounding.

 

A milk van stopped across the street and the delivery man stepped out. As he collected his products to deliver, the Doctor shouted at him to get some information.

 

“'Scuse me, what day is it?” the Doctor asked.

 

“Saturday,” the man replied. This was a typical response for humans, but largely unhelpful for the Time Lord.

 

“Saturday. Good,” the Doctor nodded. “Good, I like Saturdays.”

 

“So, I just met Rose Tyler?” Donna asked. It was so unreal that she had spent so much time unknowingly with the Doctor's long lost wife.

 

“Yeah,” he replied curtly.

 

“But she's locked away in a parallel world,” she pointed out as if he didn't realize that this was impossible.

 

“Exactly. If she can cross from her parallel world to your parallel world, that means the walls of the universe are breaking down. Which puts everything in danger, _everything_! But how?!” he shouted to the uncaring sky.

 

The Doctor needed to run some scans, so he hurried back into the TARDIS and typed some commands into the console and read the swirling text of circles and lines that showed on the display. Donna followed him and closed the door behind her.

 

She walked slowly up the ramp and approached the Doctor gently. “Thing is, Doctor. No matter what's happening, and I'm... I'm sure it's bad, I get that. But... Rose is coming back. Isn't that good?” she asked with a smile.

 

The look on his face shifted from worry to absolute joy. It was as if the sunshine had come out from behind the clouds. This was an expression that Donna had never seen on his face in all the time that she had known him.

 

“Yeah,” he breathed, as if any other words were beyond comprehension and yet 'good' seemed to be the biggest understatement ever.

 

They were suddenly jolted out of their thoughts by a huge bang and the violent shaking of the TARDIS.

 

“What the hell was that?!” Donna shouted as she grasped desperately at the railing to keep her footing.

 

“That came from outside,” he replied as he ran towards the door. Opening it wide, he found that they were suddenly in space. This was impossible.

 

“But we're in space. How did that happen?” Donna asked, mirroring his thoughts exactly.

 

He ran back to the console to see what was going on.

 

“What did you do?” Donna accused.

 

“We haven't moved, we're fixed,” he said, banging on some keys in the hopes of getting an answer that made more sense. “Can't have! No!”

 

He ran back to the door as he was sure that his eyes had to be deceiving him. It was true, though, and he had to tell Donna what he had found or she would just keep yelling. “The TARDIS is still in the same place, but the Earth has gone. The entire planet, it's gone.”

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Across the universe, on a stolen planet Earth, the milkman that the Doctor had spoken to moments ago stared at the sky in shock. Eight o'clock in the morning and there were stars in the sky. Stars and huge planets looming right above him.

 

The crackle of the Dimension Cannon startled him out of his stupor to suddenly see a group of people standing in what had been an empty street. Rose carried Jamie, with a huge gun strapped to her back. Beside her was Jackie with a diaper bag. Pete and Mickey also carried energy weapons and looked around nervously.

 

Rose looked up to the sky and said, “Right, now we're in trouble. And knowing the Doctor, it's only just beginning.”

 

“Ok, Rose, you're the expert now. What's the plan?” Pete asked his daughter.

 

“Yeah, ok. Mickey, you and dad, find an address and get to Sarah Jane. She's got K9 and she might have a way to get a hold of the Doctor using him. Mum and I will go find Donna Noble's family. I'm sure they'll let mum stay there with Jamie while I find the Doctor,” Rose replied, issuing orders as the ideas came to her.

 

“Right,” Mickey said before heading off with Pete. “Stay safe,” he added, rubbing Jamie's head affectionately.

 

“Come on, mum. And if we start seeing aliens, you take Jamie and get out of sight,” Rose said as she squeezed her son tightly.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

“But if the Earth's been moved, they've lost the sun! What about my mum? And granddad? They're dead! Aren't they? Are they dead?” Donna said as she processed just how bad this situation was.

 

The Doctor was studying the screen for some sign of what could be happening. “I don't know, Donna, I just don't know. I'm sorry, I don't know...” he replied as he used the TARDIS computer to search for some solution. He hated not knowing.

 

“That's my family. My whole world,” she asserted on the verge of tears.

 

“There's no readings. Nothing. Not a trace. Not even a whisper. Oh, that is fearsome technology,” he said absently as his hand rubbed the back of his neck in frustration.

 

“So what do we do?” Donna asked frantically. The Doctor always had a solution.

 

“We've got to get help,” he decided. He wasn't sure what they would be able to do, but maybe they had seen something that he was missing.

 

“From where?” she wondered. The Doctor didn't _get_ help, he WAS help.

 

“Donna, I'm taking you to the Shadow Proclamation. Hold tight!” he cried as he moved the final lever into position and the TARDIS began her familiar motions of flight through the vortex.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

As Rose and her mother headed towards the address they had found for Donna Noble's family, there were suddenly spaceships flying through the sky. Rose recognized them instantly and her heart almost stopped at the sight. Around them, people were running through the streets, screaming.

 

“Oh my god,” she whispered in growing dread.

 

“What is it, Rose. Do you know what they are?” Jackie asked nervously, watching the flying saucers as they rained laser fire down on the planet.

 

“ _Daleks_ ,” she replied shakily. “Mum, take Jamie, I'll need to have this gun ready, just in case.”

 

Jackie took her grandchild in her arms and tucked him slightly into her jacket to keep him as close as possible. Avoiding areas where the Daleks seemed to be attacking, Rose and Jackie moved as quickly and inconspicuously as possible towards their goal.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

“So go on then,” Donna began, “What is the Shadow Proclamation anyway?”

 

“Posh name for police. Outer space police,” he explained and the TARDIS lurched as he flicked the final switches to land. “Here we go!”

 

As soon as the Doctor and Donna exited the TARDIS, they were met with several Judoon armed with guns that were pointed threateningly in their direction. The Doctor raised his arms and nudged Donna to do the same.

 

The Judoon closest to the Doctor started growling, “Sco bo tro no flo jo ko fo to to!”

 

The Doctor replied, clearly enunciating each syllable, “No bo sho ko ro to so bo-ko-do-zo-go-bo-fo-po-jo!” As the Judoon lowered their guns, the Doctor added, “Mo ho.” Appeased by his answer, the Judoon escorted the Doctor and Donna through the complex to the Shadow Architect – the head of the organization.

 

As it turned out, the Shadow Proclamation _did_ have more information. The Shadow Architect showed the Doctor just how widely this crisis had spread. Across the universe, she said twenty-four celestial bodies had been taken simultaneously, without a trace. The Doctor used their computer to display a list of all of the missing planets.

 

“All different sizes, some populated, some not. But all unconnected,” the Architect told him.

 

“What about Pyrovillia?” Donna asked as she recalled from their adventure in Pompeii that their planet had been lost.

 

“Who is the female?” the Shadow Architect asked rudely, eyeing Donna from head to toe.

 

“Donna! I'm a human being. Maybe not the stuff of legend but every bit as important as Time Lords, thank you,” Donna informed her in the way that only Donna Noble could. The Doctor smirked at his friend's confident reply.

 

Coming back to the Doctor, knowing that he would listen to her observations, Donna said, “Way back when we were in Pompeii, Lucius said Pyrovillia had gone missing.”

 

“Pyrovillia is cold case. Not relevant,” the Judoon by the door growled at them.

 

“How d'you mean, cold case?” Donna asked.

 

“The planet Pyrovillia cannot be part of this, it disappeared over two thousand years ago,” the Shadow Architect explained, as if it were obvious.

 

“Yes, yes, hang on... But there was the Adipose Breeding Planet too. Miss Foster said that was lost, but that must've been a long time ago,” Donna pointed out. She just knew there was a connection. Like when she'd figured out the numbering system on Messaline, she could feel that there was something to this.

 

“That's it! Donna, brilliant!” the Doctor shouted and threw his arms in the air as he made the necessary connections. “Planets are being taken out of time as well as space,” he explained to the Architect.

 

Flicking switches on the computer to project all of the planets holographically, he said, “Let's put this into 3D. Now, if we add Pyrovillia... and Adipose Three... something's missing. Where else? Where else, where else, where else... lost, lost, lost, lost... Oh! The Lost Moon of Poosh!”

 

As soon as he added the moon into the list, the holographic planets automatically rearranged themselves in the air. He smiled as they floated through the room and he strolled among them with his hands in his trouser pockets.

 

“What did you do?” the Shadow Architect asked as she disbelievingly stared at the planets around them.

 

“Nothing. The planets rearranged themselves into the optimum pattern,” the Doctor explained. “Oh, look at that! Twenty-seven planets in perfect balance. Come on, that is gorgeous!” He prompted Donna to agree with him.

 

“Oi, don't get all spaceman, what does it mean?” she asked him.

 

“All those worlds fit together like pieces of an engine. It's like a powerhouse! But what for?” he wondered.

 

“Who could design such a thing?” the Shadow Architect demanded to know.

 

“Someone tried to move the Earth once before. Long time ago... can't be...” he trailed off in thought.

 

As Donna sat and let the Doctor study the information at hand, a servant that looked much like the Architect with her stark white face and hair, approached her with a large cup of water.

 

“You need sustenance. Take the water. It purifies,” she said and handed her the drink.

 

“Thanks,” Donna replied.

 

“There was something on your back,” the servant stated with a look that reminded Donna frighteningly of the people from that other world.

 

“How'd you know that?” Donna asked incredulously.

 

“You are special,” she said, blinking her strange, red eyes and ignoring Donna's question.

 

“Not me. I'm just a temp. Shorthand, filing, hundred words per minute. Fat lot of good that is now. I'm no use to anyone,” Donna despaired.

 

“I'm so sorry for your loss,” the servant told her sadly.

 

“Yeah. My whole planet's gone,” Donna said.

 

The servant's voice dropped to a whisper as if imparting a secret, “I mean the loss that is yet to come. God save you.”

 

The servant left her then and Donna stared after her in fear. The Doctor startled her out of her thoughts with a shout.

 

“Donna! Come on, think. Earth! There must've been some sort of warning. Was there anything happening back in your day, like, electrical storms, freak weather, patterns in the sky?” he asked as he rambled, hoping to jog her memory somehow, but knew that Donna often missed the big picture. He loved her for noticing the tiny details, but the glaringly obvious often flew right past her.

 

“Well, how should I know? Um... no, I don't think so, no,” she said, thinking hard.

 

“Oh, ok... never mind,” he replied and started walking away from her.

 

“Although!” she called, “There were the bees disappearing.”

 

“The bees disappearing,” he repeated as if it was the most ridiculous idea ever. “ _The bees disappearing_ ,” he said slowly, sounding more thoughtful and finally shouted, “The bees disappearing!!”

 

When he ran to the computer, the Shadow Architect asked him, “How is that significant?”

 

Donna followed the Doctor and explained what she meant, “On Earth, we have these insects. Some people said it was pollution, or mobile phone signals.”

 

“ _Or_... they were going back home!” the Doctor shouted victoriously.

 

“Back home where?” Donna asked next to him as he typed a new scan into the computer.

 

“The planet Melissa Majoria,” he replied and continued typing.

 

“Are you saying bees are aliens?” Donna asked in shock.

 

“Don't be so daft,” he chided, shaking his head. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, the manic Doctor was back, “Not all of them. But if the migrant bees felt something coming, some sort of danger, and escaped... Tandocca!”

 

“The Tandocca Scale!” the Architect said in sudden understanding. Donna looked between them as if they'd both sprouted extra heads.

 

“The Tandocca Scale is a series of wavelengths used as a carrier signal by migrant bees. Infinitely small, no wonder we didn't see it. Like looking for a speck of cinnamon in the Sahara, but look! There it is. The Tandocca trail. The transmat that moved the planets was using the same wavelength, we can follow the path!” the Doctor shouted at a million words per minute and Donna could barely follow.

 

“And find the Earth?” she asked, thinking she may have picked up that much from the nonsense he'd just spouted. “Well, stop talking and do it!” Donna shouted as they ran back to the TARDIS.

 

“I am!” he shouted back and ran to the TARDIS controls to set up the same scan on his computer. “We're a bit late, the signal's scattered, but it's a start!”

 

Poking his head back out the TARDIS doors, he told the Architect, “I've got a blip! It's just a blip! But it's definitely a blip!”

 

“Then according to the Strictures of the Shadow Proclamation, I will have to seize your transport and your technology,” she replied.

 

“Oh, really, what for?” he asked defensively.

 

“The planets were stolen with hostile intent. We are declaring war, Doctor. Right across the universe. And _you_ will lead us into battle!” she announced.

 

“Right, yes, course I will. I'll just go and... get you the key...” he added craftily as he shut the door and ran to the console to dematerialize.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Wilfred and Sylvia went outside to see what was happening, only to find that there were large metal things with deadly lasers gathering up the people. Wilf decided that he needed to go and help some of them escape.

 

They peered around a darkened corner just in time to hear one of the aliens shouting, “DALEKS DO NOT ANSWER HUMAN QUESTIONS. STAND IN LINE.”

 

“Dad, please, come home, they're leaving our street alone,” Sylvia called after him.

 

“Yeah, I've got a weapon,” he argued, holding up a small rifle.

 

“It's a paint gun,” she stated matter-of-factly.

 

“Exactly,” he said. “Them Dalek things, they've only got one eye. A good splodge of paint, they'd be blinded!”

 

They watched in horror as one of the families refused to cooperate, went back into their house and the Daleks destroyed it.

 

“They're monsters,” Wilf gasped.

 

“Please, dad, come home,” Sylvia pleaded with him, tugging on his arm.

 

As they headed back towards their own house, they were stopped by a Dalek on patrol.

 

“HALT! YOU WILL COME WITH ME,” it ordered robotically.

 

“Will I, heck!” Wilfred cried as he aimed and fired his paint ball gun at the Dalek's eye stalk.

 

For a moment, it looked like the plan may have worked as the paint struck perfectly over the creatures single eye. But all hope faded away as the paint suddenly bubbled and fizzed away.

 

“MY VISION IS NOT IMPAIRED,” it informed them.

 

“I warned you, dad!” Sylvia cried.

 

“HOSTILITY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTER-” the evil thing shouted until suddenly, it exploded in a shower of metal and sparks.

 

As the smoke cleared, they saw two blonde women standing in the road. One, in her mid-twenties, held her massive gun aimed at what was now a destroyed Dalek. The other, somewhat older one was tightly shielding a baby against her chest. The baby gurgled happily.

 

“You wanna swap?” Wilf asked the young woman.

 

She smiled at his cheekiness and asked, “You're Donna Noble's family, right?”

 

Wilfred nodded at her and guided the ladies back towards their house.

 

“I'm Rose Tyler and I need you,” she said.

 

Inside, Sylvia helped Jackie to settle Jamie down with a bottle. Rose decided to talk to Wilfred since he seemed to be the one that understood more what was happening.

 

“Wilfred, can you get a hold of Donna? We need to find the Doctor to stop these things,” Rose pleaded.

 

“Yeah, I've tried calling her, but I can't get through. But she's still with the Doctor, I know that much. The last time she phoned, it was from a planet called Midnight, made of diamonds,” he told her.

 

“What the hell are you two on about?” Sylvia asked as if they had lost their minds.

 

“Ooh, your daughter didn't tell you neither?” Jackie said, pleased to finally have someone that would understand. “When she first left, she was gone a whole year without a word to me!” she told Sylvia, nodding towards Rose with her chin.

 

Rose shot her a chastising look over the years old argument.

 

“Look, she's out there, sweetheart,” Wilf told a still disbelieving Sylvia. “Your daughter. She's travelling the stars, with that Doctor, she always has been,” Wilf insisted.

 

“Don't be ridiculous,” Sylvia scoffed. Jackie just rolled her eyes and focused her attention back on Jamie.

 

“Oh, come on, open your eyes! Look at the sky! Look at... look at the Daleks! You can't start denying things now!” he shouted, trying to make her see what was right in front of her face.

 

“If we can't find Donna, how are we going to find the Doctor? Where is he?” Rose asked no one in particular. She focussed on her link to him and tried to reach out, but there was still something in the way.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Back on the TARDIS, the Doctor was frantically jumping around the console to follow the trail, but suddenly, in the middle of space, the TARDIS stopped and he stared at the monitor.

 

“It's stopped.” he said, defeated.

 

“What d'you mean? Is that good or bad? Where are we?” Donna pressed for answers.

 

“The Medusa Cascade,” he said softly. “I came here when I was just a kid. Ninety years old. It was the centre of a rift in time and space.”

 

“So, where are the twenty-seven planets?” Donna asked impatiently.

 

“Nowhere. The Tandocca Trail stops dead,” he whispered. He had really hoped that this would be the way to save the Earth. “End of the line.”

 

“So what do we do?” she asked, staring at him now. Not getting a response, she tried again. “Doctor? What do we do?”

 

Donna looked like she might smack him at any minute. But he just stared at the monitor as if all the hope that he had shown earlier had been leeched from him for all time.

 

“Now don't do this to me. Don't do this to me. Not now! Tell me, what are we going to do?” she asked as her voice started to quiver. “You never give up. Please.”

 

The Doctor didn't know what to say. He had run out of ideas and the trail was well and truly gone. There was nothing more to follow. If Rose were here... no. He couldn't think about her now, not when his hearts were already breaking.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

At the Noble's house, Wilf held Sylvia as she cried and the news blared from the television in the background. Rose paced the floor with Jamie in her arms. He was crying now as he felt his mother's despair and she couldn't seem to calm him.

 

Suddenly, the laptop on the table started to beep and a woman's voice was heard, “Can anyone hear me? The Subwave Network is open. You should be able to hear my voice... Is anyone there?”

 

Rose stared at the computer in shock. “I know that voice,” she said.

 

The voice of Harriet Jones continued, “This message is of the utmost importance. We haven't much time... Can anyone hear me?” There was a pause as if she was listening to someone else.

 

“Is that Harriet Jones?” Jackie asked.

 

“Captain Jack Harkness, shame on you! Now stand to attention, sir!” Harriet chastised the man they couldn't see or hear, but knew well.

 

The static on the screen cleared to show Harriet in her home with her identification on display, as usual. She addressed the screen, “Harriet Jones, former Prime Minister.”

 

Rose shouted at the computer, “Harriet! It's me, it's me! Oh, she can't hear me... have you got a webcam?”

 

“No, she wouldn't let me, she said they're naughty,” Wilf replied with a gesture towards his daughter. Jackie smacked her in the arm for making this more difficult.

 

“Do you ever respect your elders?” Jackie asked.

 

“I can't speak to her then, can I?” Rose grumbled, trying to think of an alternative.

 

“Sarah Jane Smith, 13 Bannerman Road, are you there? ... Good. Now, let's see if we can talk to each other,” Harriet said as they watched the conversation continue without them. The screen divided into four parts to show Harriet, Jack, Sarah Jane and another square that was filled with static.

 

“The fourth contact seems to be having some trouble getting through,” Harriet said.

 

“That's me! Harriet! That's me!” Rose shouted as if making herself louder would override the fact that there was no camera.

 

“I'll just boost the signal,” Harriet stated. She flailed with two fingers across her keyboard and suddenly, Martha Jones appeared on the screen.

 

“Hello?” Martha asked.

 

“Martha Jones!” Jack shouted excitedly.

 

“Oh, that was his other companion while I was gone. I wanted to get through,” Rose pouted.

 

The conversation on the screen continued for some time, but ultimately, they determined that if they all called the number of a mobile that Martha had left on the TARDIS and boosted the signal through Sarah Jane's computer as well as the Cardiff Rift, they should be able to reach the Doctor. Rose punched the number into her mobile to join in the call and focussed with all her power on her link to her husband and pressed her forehead against her son's in the hope that maybe they could reach him together.

 

“Find me, Doctor. Find me,” she whispered.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor and Donna just stood silently, both feeling utterly helpless to do anything. The hopelessness scattered instantly at the sound of a mobile ringing shrilly through the console room.

 

“Phone!” the Doctor shouted.

 

“Doctor, phone!” Donna yelled as she found it and tossed it to him.

 

He flipped it open and said, “Martha, is that you?” He heard a distinct beeping noise and realized what it was. “It's a signal!”

 

“Can we follow it?” Donna asked excitedly.

 

“Oh, just watch me!” the Doctor replied assuredly and placed his stethoscope on the phone. He started flipping switches in his manic dance around the console. “Got it! Locking on!”

 

The TARDIS shook violently and flames leapt up as the Doctor forced her to follow the signal to its origin. “We're travelling through time. One second in the future! The phone call's pulling us through!” he shouted triumphantly over the grinding of his ship.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Rose and the others in the Noble household watched the computer screen in horror as Harriet Jones was found by the Daleks and exterminated. Rose suddenly felt a tingle in the back of her mind that she knew had to be her husband.

 

On the screen, the space that had previously been occupied by Harriet was suddenly filled with the faces of the Doctor and Donna.

 

“Where the hell have you been?!” Jack shouted. “Doctor, it's the Daleks!”

 

“It's the Daleks, they are taking people to their spaceship...” Sarah Jane said.

 

“That's Donna!” Sylvia shouted over the voices.

 

“That's my girl!” Wilf said proudly.

 

“Sarah Jane! Who's that boy? That must be Torchwood. Aren't they brilliant? Look at you all, you clever people,” the Doctor said and beamed at all of them.

 

“That's Martha. And who's... _he_?” Donna said, pointing at Jack.

 

“Captain Jack. Dont. Just... don't,” he replied and shook his head at her.

 

Back in the Noble house, Rose focussed all her thoughts on that place in her mind where her husband resided. She thought as hard as she could, _“Doctor, it's me, I came back.”_

 

On the screen, Donna said, “It's like an outer space Facebook.”

 

Beside her the Doctor had gone stiff and wide-eyed, his gaze jumping to each face on the monitor. “Where's Rose? I can feel her! I shouldn't be able to, but she's here!” he shouted as he touched his temple.

 

Rose jumped and squealed, happy that she had made a connection to him.

 

The screen suddenly shifted from the faces of their friends to a white static. They could still hear the Doctor as he shouted, “No, no, no, no, there's another signal, there's someone else out there. Hello? Can you hear me? Rose?”

 

Suddenly there was another voice; ominous and arrogant. He called himself Davros and claimed to be the creator of the Daleks. Rose listened as he taunted the Doctor. Listened as her husband denied that Davros could have survived and escaped the Time War.

 

Davros explained that a single Dalek threw itself through the time lock and helped him escape so that he could create a whole new race of Daleks from his own body.

 

Listening to the conversation, anyone would assume that the Doctor would feel defeat at this resurgence of old enemies, but in the end, he said, “After all this time. Everything we saw, everything we lost, I have only one thing to say to you... Bye!”

 

At that cheerful shout, the screen went dead and Rose knew that he was on his way to Earth. She immediately handed Jamie over to her mother. “Keep Jamie here, keep him safe. As soon as we've saved the universe again, mummy and daddy are BOTH coming to get him,” she said with a smile and a kiss to both of them.

 

Heaving the enormous gun over her shoulder again, Rose called Malcolm, “Malcolm? Tosh? We're getting this figured out, but I need another shift. Lock me onto the TARDIS. Now!”

 

She shoved her phone back into her pocket and said, “Right, I'm gonna find them. Wish me luck!”

 

“Oh, good luck!” Sylvia said as she held tightly to her father's shoulder.

 

“Yeah, good luck, sweetheart!” Wilf called.

 

Jackie waved Jamie's little hand as she said in a baby voice, “Bye-bye, mummy! Go kick those Daleks to hell!”

 

Rose giggled and with a wave, disappeared in a flash of light.

 

She blinked as the light faded away and found that she could feel the Doctor even more strongly now. She knew he was close by and started running, letting the connection pull her to him. On the next rise in the road, she could see the TARDIS and ran even faster.

 

Rose knew the moment that he noticed her. His eyes met hers in wide delight and a beaming smile spread across his face. She could feel overwhelming joy and love pouring into her mind as they ran towards each other.

 

Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, Rose saw a Dalek heading menacingly towards her husband. The lights flashed in time with its voice when it said, “EXTERMINATE,” and she quickly aimed, firing her gun in defence of her long lost love.

 

The Doctor gaped at her and continued running, leaping over the smoking remains of the Dalek that had been determined to end his life.

 

Rose dropped the gun just before they met and crashed into his arms. His hands rubbed her back and arms frantically as he proved to himself that she was really back. Their lips crashed together and one of his hands moved to touch Rose's temple.

 

She felt him enter her mind then, for the first time in ages. He spoke to her then, the way he had only done when they made love before,  _“Oh, my love, I have missed you! How in the world are you telepathic now?”_

 

Her heart flew at the endearment and she tried to answer him through her mind,  _“My Doctor, I've missed you too! I'm not entirely sure, but it might have something to do with giving birth to your child.”_

 

He broke their kiss and looked at her in shock, but she could feel his all encompassing joy as he searched through her mind for the connection to their son.  _“Oh, Rose, he's wonderful! We have so much to take care of right now, though. Before we go any further in stopping the Daleks, may I strengthen our connection now that you're telepathic too?”_

 

At Rose's nod, he wrapped his mind around hers, tightly. There would be a permanent link that would allow communication between them now, even without touching. He could feel her joy at his acceptance of the changes in her and his acceptance of their child. They had so much to catch up on.

 

They were startled out of their mental conversation by the voice of Jack Harkness, “You know, you two, I was expecting more snogging in this reunion.”

 

Wide-eyed, they turned to face him, smiling.

 

“Jack!” Rose shouted and leapt into his arms for a hug. He returned it enthusiastically and spun her around.

 

“Maybe we'd best get inside the TARDIS where it's safer?” Donna asked. Jack paused to collect Rose's gun from the street before he too rushed inside.

 

“Jamie is safe, Doctor. He's at Donna's house with mum. I sent dad and Mickey to go find Sarah Jane ages ago, but they were on foot, so it might have taken them a while to find her,” Rose explained. “It's a long story and we'll catch up soon, but we're all here now, and we're staying.”

 

“Oh, Rose,” the Doctor sighed and grasped her face between his hands. He looked deeply into her beautiful eyes before resuming the kiss that had been cut short outside. Suddenly, tongues were wrestling for control as they passionately tried to make up for lost time. Jack and Donna leaned against the railing, watching happily.

 

Suddenly struck by a thought, Donna asked, “Who's Jamie?”

 


	5. Journey's Beginning

Chapter Five – Journey's Beginning

 

Mickey and Pete had been dodging their way past Daleks for what felt like forever. They had almost made it to 13 Bannerman Road to find Sarah Jane, when Mickey spotted a car speeding from that direction. It suddenly stopped with a Dalek right in front of it and he recognized the driver immediately.

 

“Pete! That one, kill it!” Mickey shouted as both men aimed their guns and fired.

 

When Sarah Jane managed to calm herself enough to look for the reason she wasn't dead, she leapt from her car.

 

“Mickey?” she breathed.

 

“Us Smiths gotta stick together,” he said as he lowered his gun.

 

“I'm Pete Tyler, Rose's dad. She sent us to find you ages ago, but our dimension jumpers take thirty minutes to recharge, so we had to walk,” Pete said as he shook Sarah Jane's hand.

 

“I'm texting Rose, to see where she is. Maybe she found the Doctor,” Mickey added as he typed into his phone. Getting a quick reply, he said, “This way!”

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

As the kiss dragged on, Donna nudged Jack with her elbow and said, “You can hug me, if you want. No, really. You can hug me.”

 

Jack laughed and, not one to refuse a lady, put an arm around her shoulder. The current TARDIS crew were thrown out of their blissful reunion as the power shut down and the ship lurched to the side.

 

The Doctor ran to the monitor, still holding Rose's hand, not willing to let go of her yet. “They've got us!” he shouted. “Power's gone. Some kind of chronon loop.”

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Just outside the TARDIS, Pete, Mickey and Sarah Jane watched as the Daleks wrapped the time ship in a blue ring of light and it flew off, the Daleks indicated that it was destined for the Crucible.

 

“Those teleport things, can we use them? If they've taken the Doctor to the Dalek spaceship, then that's where we need to be,” Sarah Jane told them.

 

“It's not just a teleport, it's a dimension jump. Man, this thing rips a hole in the fabric of space,” Mickey explained as he pulled it from his pocket.

 

“But can we use it?” Sarah insisted.

 

“No, not yet,” Pete answered. “It needs another 15 minutes before we can jump again.”

 

“Then put down your guns,” Sarah said firmly.

 

“Do what?” Mickey asked as if she'd lost her mind.

 

“If you're carrying a gun, they'll shoot you dead,” she replied as she stood from their hiding place and walked confidently towards the group of Daleks. “Daleks! I surrender.”

 

“ALL HUMANS IN THIS SECTOR WILL BE TAKEN TO THE CRUCIBLE,” one of the creatures shouted.

 

“She's bloody mad!” Mickey complained.

 

“Yeah, but Mickey, she's right. If they've got the Doctor, then they've got Rose and we need to be there to help,” Pete said as he dropped his gun to the ground and followed Sarah Jane with his hands in the air. “And us. We surrender!”

 

Mickey kissed his gun before he threw it to the ground and reluctantly followed the insane pair, straight into Dalek hands... or whatever those things were.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

“There's a massive Dalek ship at the centre of the planets. They're calling it the Crucible. Guess that's our destination,” Jack explained, leaning against a coral strut.

 

“Doctor, you said these planets were like an engine. But what for?” Donna asked.

 

“Rose, you've been in a parallel world. That world's running ahead of this universe. You've seen the future. What was it?” he asked as he took both her hands.

 

“It's the darkness,” she said softly.

 

“The stars were going out,” Donna suddenly remembered at her words.

 

“One by one. We looked up at the sky and they were just dying. See, we've been building this Dimension Cannon so that Jamie and I could come back,” Rose told them and the Doctor made a happy noise in his throat. “Shut up,” she teased. 

 

“Before long, we all needed to leave because some of the less friendly people at Torchwood found out about Jamie and the changes to my physiology. They were hunting my whole family. The cannon didn't work at all for a long time, but suddenly, when the stars were going out, it started working. But then, the dimensions started to collapse. Not just in our world, not just in yours, but the whole of reality. Even the Void was dead. Something is destroying everything,” Rose explained.

 

The Doctor hugged her tightly at the thought of Torchwood hunting her and their child. “How did you manage to lock onto this universe? I could never manage in the billions of parallel worlds to lock onto the right one, even if the walls weren't blocking me completely. The telepathic link wasn't enough to get the ship through.”

 

“We used my TARDIS key. It was tied to this one ship in all of the multiverse and the Dimension Cannon used it as an anchor to pull us straight to you,” Rose clarified as she squeezed him back.

 

The scanner on the console beeped and with a thump, they seemed to stop moving. Rose looked into her husband's eyes with a mix of fear and determination. He stroked his hand down the side of her face in an effort to memorize every bit of it.

 

From outside the TARDIS, they heard the Daleks announce, “THE TARDIS IS SECURED. DOCTOR, YOU WILL STEP FORTH OR DIE!”

 

“We'll have to go out. 'Cause if we don't, they'll get in,” the Doctor admitted.

 

“You told me nothing could get through those doors,” Rose said assuredly.

 

“You've got extrapolator shielding,” Jack agreed.

 

“Last time we fought the Daleks, they were scavengers, and hybrids, and mad. But this is a fully-fledged Dalek Empire, at the height of its power. Experts at fighting TARDISes, they can do anything. Right now, that wooden door... is just wood,” he explained.

 

“What about your dimension jump?” Jack asked Rose desperately.

 

“It needs another twenty minutes. And anyway, I'm not leaving!” Rose argued.

 

“What about your teleport?” the Doctor put to Jack.

 

“Went down with the power loss,” Jack admitted with a shake of his head.

 

“Right then. All of us together, yeah? We'll figure out something, we always do,” the Doctor told them all reassuringly.

 

Rose was distracted by a beautiful singing sound. It seemed to be calling her towards it.

 

The sound of Daleks outside sounded once again through the doors, “SURRENDER, DOCTOR, AND FACE YOUR DALEK MASTERS!”

 

“Daleks again. Whoa god!” Jack said jokingly, trying to lighten the somber mood.

 

“We will find a way, I promise all of you,” the Doctor said. Looking to Donna, then Jack, he added, “You are brilliant, and you are brilliant.”

 

Finally stepping before Rose, he took her hands and said, “And you have proven yourself capable of the impossible. Together, we WILL find a way out of this so I can go and meet my son.”

 

Rose smiled at him tearfully and squeezed his hands. They all squared their shoulders as the group started out the TARDIS doors and out onto the Dalek ship. Before Rose could take more than a step though, she heard that singing again. She felt that she needed to follow it and turned back towards the console. Was it the TARDIS calling her?

 

Jack led the way out of the TARDIS, followed by Donna and the Doctor. Above their heads, the Daleks were screaming over and over, “DALEKS REIGN SUPREME! ALL HAIL THE DALEKS!”

 

A large, red Dalek addressed them, “BEHOLD, DOCTOR. BEHOLD THE MIGHT OF THE TRUE DALEK RACE.”

 

The Doctor noticed that Rose was not by his side and called over his shoulder, “Rose, love, come on. We'll...”

 

As soon as he turned to see what was keeping her, however, the door slammed shut.

 

“What?!” he cried.

 

As the door slammed shut, Rose was startled from the singing. She rushed towards the doors, pounding on them.

 

“Doctor! Get me out! What's happening?!” Rose called from within. She could feel his fear and knew that something was terribly wrong.

 

“Can you open the bolt on the lock? Please, Rose, you've got to try!” he called as he pushed desperately on the door.

 

“It's not working! Help me!” she shouted.

 

The Doctor turned furiously on the Daleks, “What did you do?!”

 

“THIS IS NOT OF DALEK ORIGIN,” the large, red Dalek replied.

 

From within the TARDIS, they could hear Rose calling for her Doctor as she wrestled with the door.

 

“Stop it! She's my wife! Now open the door and let her out!” he shouted in desperation, no longer caring if they knew what kind of leverage they could gain over him with Rose as their hostage. He just wanted her by his side.

 

“THIS IS TIME LORD TREACHERY,” the Dalek's voice boomed.

 

“Me? The door just closed on its own!” he argued.

 

“NEVERTHELESS, THE TARDIS IS A WEAPON AND IT WILL BE DESTROYED,” the alien replied ominously.

 

With the loud clang of clamps being released, a trapdoor opened beneath the time ship and it fell through the floor. The Doctor's hearts began to race and his breathing became quick and shallow. He couldn't lose her again, he just couldn't.

 

“What are you doing?! Bring it back!” he shouted in rage. “What have you done? Where's it going?”

 

“THE CRUCIBLE HAS A HEART OF Z-NEUTRINO ENERGY. THE TARDIS WILL BE DEPOSITED INTO THE CORE,” the Dalek informed them as if it were reporting the weather.

 

“You can't! You've taken the defences down. They'll be torn apart!” he screamed. He focused his thoughts on Rose and tried to connect with her mentally. Maybe he could help her fly the TARDIS out of there.

 

“Rose is still in there! You have to let her go!” Jack added angrily.

 

“THE FEMALE AND THE TARDIS WILL PERISH TOGETHER. OBSERVE,” the Dalek said as a large display lit up above them. “THE LAST CHILD OF GALLIFREY IS POWERLESS.”

 

“Please. I'm begging you. I'll do anything! Put me in her place! You can do anything to me, I don't care, just get her out of there!” the Doctor was shaking now and Donna moved to put her arm over his shoulder in support as they all stared at the screen.

 

“YOU ARE CONNECTED TO THE TARDIS. NOW FEEL IT DIE,” the Dalek said coldly.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

As soon as the TARDIS began to fall, Rose heard the ship singing to her even more loudly. The sound in her head drowned out everything. Somehow, it was guiding her around the console. Between the singing and the lights blinking at her, Rose was able to set all of the controls to dematerialize at just the right second.

 

Several of the lights on the walls burst with sparks and there were flames coming from a few of the overloaded systems, but the TARDIS urged her not to throw the final lever until she commanded. Just as Rose felt her husband desperately trying to connect with her over the singing in her head, the TARDIS gave the signal and Rose threw the switch.

 

With a loud grinding, the time ship dematerialized from the Crucible's core to safety. Rose breathed a sigh of relief and could finally think straight again.

 

“ _It was the TARDIS. She was singing to me and then showed me how to get her out of there,”_ Rose thought to her husband. _“We're alright. If you tell me how, I might be able to materialize in another part of the Crucible to help you.”_

 

“ _Oh, thank god! I thought you were going to die, my love! I know you can help. Turn all the green switches to the left of the monitor up. That will block their scanners from sensing her for a while once you've landed. On the keyboard, type delta, gamma, seven. That should start a scan for where I am and select a safe place to land nearby. Once you've done that, think to the TARDIS and she'll help you fly her again. If she was already singing to you, then I have no doubt that she will continue. She's always liked you more than me,”_ he rambled in her head.

 

How she had missed his voice. Rose did her best to follow the instructions as he gave them and felt the TARDIS sending her acknowledgment that she was doing things correctly.

 

“ _Alright, once I'm there, what do I do? Is there a weapon or something on board that can stop them?”_ Rose asked her Doctor.

 

“ _No, nothing like that. But if you can sneak into the room quietly, I should be able to direct you to a control panel to shut everything down. Until I know their plan, I can't do much more than that,”_ he replied. _“We seem to have reached our destination, so I'm going to find out what I can and that scan should finish soon, finding you a place to land.”_

 

“ _Alright, Doctor. I'll see you soon. I love you,”_ she thought to him and focused all of her confidence in him through their bond.

 

“ _I love you too, Rose. I never said it enough and that's going to change,”_ he replied and closed off their link so that he could concentrate on what was happening where he was.

 

Rose's heart swelled at his reply and the scanner beeped. Looking at the monitor, she could see a map with several dots blinking. It appeared that she would land in a small hallway nearby and should be able to get to him fairly quickly, so long as she wasn't captured.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Jack, Donna and the Doctor watched the screen above them in horror as the TARDIS fell into the glowing, golden core of the space station. They could hear the Daleks counting down to its destruction and the Doctor focussed all of his mental energy at trying to reach his wife.

 

The TARDIS vanished, but he could feel that it hadn't been destroyed. He had to keep up the pretence however that it had been, so he schooled his features into a look of utter despair. Inside, though, his heart was singing over the survival of his wife and lovely ship.

 

“THE TARDIS HAS BEEN DESTROYED,” the red Dalek stated. “NOW TELL ME, DOCTOR. WHAT DO YOU FEEL? ANGER? SORROW? DESPAIR?”

 

“Yeah,” he replied simply and began a silent conversation with his beloved.

 

“THEN, IF EMOTIONS ARE SO IMPORTANT, SURELY WE HAVE ENHANCED YOU?” the Dalek asked.

 

“Yeah? Feel this!” Jack shouted as he pulled a small gun from the holster under his coat and shot the red Dalek several times to no effect.

 

The Dalek shouted, “EXTERMINATE!” And Jack was struck by an energy beam that had him screaming before he fell to the ground.

 

“Oh my god!” Donna cried and ran to his side.

 

The Doctor moved to take Donna's arm and said quietly, “Come on, Donna. Leave him.”

 

“But, he's dead. They killed him,” Donna cried.

 

“I know. I”m sorry,” the Doctor replied.

 

“ESCORT THEM TO THE VAULT,” the large, red Dalek ordered. “THEY ARE THE PLAYTHINGS OF DAVROS NOW.”

 

The Doctor looked over his shoulder at Jack as they were escorted away and received a wink from the man on the floor. He gave his not-so-dead friend a small nod to acknowledge his plan to play possum and escape.

 

When they arrived at their destination, the Doctor and Donna were guided to stand apart from one another and a gravelly voice came from a dark doorway saying, “Activate the holding cells.”

 

Two lights came down over them as Davros rolled into the room. The bottom of him looked like a Dalek, but his upper body was exposed. It appeared that he may have been humanoid once, but it had to have been a long time ago. In front of him was a control panel, presumably to command his army of Daleks.

 

“Excellent. Even when powerless, a Time Lord is best contained,” Davros sneered.

 

“Still scared of me, then?” the Doctor asked confidently as he tested the forcefield surrounding him. He knew Rose would be there soon and he needed to find out Davros' plan before he could direct her on how to shut it down.

 

“It is time we talked, Doctor. After so very long,” Davros said.

 

“No, no, no, no, no. We're not doing the nostalgia tour. I want to know what's happening right here, right now. Because the Supreme Dalek said Vault, yeah? As in dungeon, cellar, prison. You're not in charge of the Daleks, are you? They've got you locked away down here in the basement. Like what? A servant? Slave? Court Jester?” the Doctor mocked.

 

“We have... an arrangement,” Davros replied, trying to side step the truth of the Doctor's statement.

 

“No, no, no, no, no. I've got the word. You're the Dalek's PET!” he shouted with a laugh.

 

“So very full of fire, despite the recent death of his beloved wife,” Davros said with renewed confidence.

 

“Was it you that locked the doors to the TARDIS?” the Doctor asked in accusation.

 

“Oh, it was not me. The prophesies called for such things to occur. Dalek Caan told us of what was to come,” Davros stated and flicked a switch to shine light onto the broken form of a Dalek with the living creature still inside.

 

“So cold and dark. Fire is coming. The endless flames,” Caan babbled as its many tentacles squirmed.

 

“What the hell is that thing?” Donna asked, making a face at the revolting creature.

 

“That is a Dalek. There is one of those inside every single shell. But that one flew into the Time War, unprotected,” the Doctor explained.

 

“Caan did more than that. He saw time. Its infinite complexity and majesty, raging through his mind. And he saw what was to come,” Davros corrected.

 

“This I have foreseen, in the wind and the wild. The Doctor will be here as witness, at the end of everything. And the Wolf will howl!” Caan cackled madly.

 

“Wolf?! What does the Wolf have to do with this?” the Doctor shouted.

 

“I have been shown the plan of the Wolf. At the time of ending, her plan shall be revealed!” Caan shouted.

 

“Plan? What plan?” the Doctor asked. He was slightly relieved that maybe the Bad Wolf had prepared for all of this long ago, but what did that have to do with Caan?

 

“We will discover it together. Our final journey. Because the ending approaches. The testing begins,” Davros said gleefully.

 

“Testing of what?” he asked. Testing sounded ominous.

 

“The Reality Bomb,” Davros replied.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Sarah Jane, Mickey and Pete followed the crowd of prisoners into the Dalek Crucible and kept their eyes peeled for a chance to escape the group. They knew they needed to find the Doctor so that they could help with whatever plan he came up with.

 

Eventually, they were herded into a large, open area. One of the Daleks ordered them loudly, “PRISONERS WILL STAND IN THE DESIGNATED AREA. MOVE! MOVE!”

 

One of the women fell to her knees as fear took over. Pete moved to help her up.

 

The Dalek shouted, “YOU WILL STAND!”

 

“I can't. Please!” the woman cried.

 

Sarah Jane used the moment of distraction to run towards a nearby door. She opened it using her sonic lipstick and whispered as loudly as she dared, “Mickey! Mickey!”

 

Mickey saw what she was doing and ran towards her, calling quietly over his shoulder, “Pete!”

 

Mickey and Sarah Jane made it into the room and shut the door before they were seen, but Pete had been standing right next to the woman they were addressing.

 

“PRISONERS WILL STAND IN THE DESIGNATED AREA,” a Dalek shouted.

 

In the side room, Mickey was frantic. Jackie would kill him if anything happened to Pete. “We can't just leave him!”

 

“Mickey! Wait!” Sarah Jane called as he almost opened the door and they were caught.

 

“Oh my god! The dimension jump!” Mickey said as he pulled his own out of his pocket and tried to get Pete's attention through the small window.

 

The woman beside Pete was in tears as she asked, “What does it mean? What are they testing? What are they going to do?”

 

Pete crossed his arms over his chest and looked up at the green, glowing circle on the ceiling above them. “Well, I reckon it's probably that thing there,” he said.

 

A flash of movement caught Pete's eye and he glanced toward the door where Mickey and Sarah had run earlier. In the small window, he saw Mickey holding up his dimension jumper and mouthing the words, “Use it!”

 

He carefully pulled the large button out of his pocket and waited for the right moment to disappear unnoticed by the aliens. As he listened to the countdown, he waited until there were only seconds left and flashed away from the spot where he was, finding himself back in the bunker in the other universe.

 

“Quick! Send me back to Mickey, now!” he shouted at the stunned scientists. They nodded dumbly and in a flash, he was by Mickey's side again.

 

With a huge sigh, Mickey patted him on the back, saying, “Good to have you back, boss. Jackie would've had my hide if I let something happen to you.”

 

“You've got that right!” Pete said with a relieved smile.

 

They turned then, to watch what was happening to the prisoners through the window.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

“Behold, the apotheosis of my genius,” Davros gloated.

 

They could hear the Supreme Dalek through the screen that displayed the testing of the Reality Bomb, “FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO. ACTIVATE PLANETARY ALIGNMENT FIELD.”

 

The Doctor talked his way through working out what was happening, “That's Z-Neutrino energy, flattened by the alignment of the planets into a single string. No! Davros! Davros, you can't! You can't! No!!”

 

The Doctor and Donna watched in horror as the prisoners on the screen were dissolved into atoms by a bright, green light. The Doctor was breathing heavily now. They hadn't been able to stop them in time to save those people.

 

“What was it? Doctor, what did it do?” Donna asked.

 

“Electrical energy, Miss Noble. Every atom in existence is bound by an electrical field. The Reality Bomb cancels it out. Structure falls apart. That test was focused on the prisoners alone. Full transmission will dissolve every form of matter,” Davros explained the brilliance of his invention.

 

“The stars were going out,” Donna realized exactly how that was possible.

 

“The twenty-seven planets, they become one vast transmitter. Blasting that wavelength...” the Doctor added.

 

“Across the entire universe,” Davros completed the statement proudly. “Never stopping, never faltering, never fading. People and planets and stars will become dust, and the dust will be come atoms, and the atoms will become... nothing. And the wavelength will continue, breaking through the rift at the heart of the Medusa Cascade into every dimension, every parallel, every single corner of creation. This is my ultimate victory, Doctor! The destruction of reality itself!” He laughed maniacally.

 

“You are completely mad!” Donna cried.

 

“PREPARE FOR UNIVERSAL DETONATION. THE FLEET WILL GATHER AT THE CRUCIBLE. ALL DALEKS WILL RETURN TO SHELTER FROM THE CATACLYSM. WE WILL BECOME THE ONLY LIFE FORMS IN EXISTENCE,” the Supreme Dalek announced.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

With a loud clang of metal, a grating near the floor slammed open and out rolled Jack Harkness. Pete, Mickey and Sarah Jane stared at him in surprise as he easily rose to his feet and stalked towards the group.

 

“Just my luck. I climb through two miles of ventilation shafts, chasing life signs on this thing, and who do I find? Mickey Mouse!” Jack said rudely.

 

“You can talk, Captain Cheesecake,” Mickey replied coldly.

 

They both laughed as they dropped the tough guy act for a moment and Jack scooped his friend into a hug.

 

“Good to see you. And that's Beefcake,” Jack said, squeezing Mickey just a bit harder.

 

“And that's enough hugging,” Mickey replied, sounding a bit out of air.

 

Jack quickly turned to salute Sarah Jane and said, “We meet at last, Miss Smith.” With a look at the other man, he asked, “And you are?”

 

“Pete Tyler. I'm Rose's dad,” he said quickly.

 

“Her dad? But, she said her dad died when she was a baby?” Jack questioned.

 

“It's a long story. We'll get to that later,” Mickey said.

 

“There is something we can do. You've got to understand. I have a son down there on Earth. He's only fourteen year's old,” Sarah Jane told them.

 

“Yeah, well Rose and the Doctor have a son down there that's only a month old!” Mickey added and Sarah's eyes grew wide.

 

“I've brought this,” Sarah Jane said as she lifted a pendant in front of her. There was a large diamond, surrounded by a gold cage that hung from the chain. “It was given to me by a Verron Soothsayer. He said, this is for the End of Days.”

 

Jack gently took hold of the chain and asked in awe, “Is that a Warp Star?”

 

“Going to tell us what a Warp Star is?” Mickey asked, not liking it when he was left out of the loop.

 

“A warpfold conjugation trapped in a carbonized shell. It's an explosion, Mickey. An explosion waiting to happen,” Jack explained.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Back in the Vault, the Doctor was anxiously awaiting Rose's arrival to help stop this before it got any worse. Just as he was losing hope, he felt her connecting to his mind again.

 

“ _I'm here, love. Sorry it took so long, I don't have much practice flying the TARDIS yet. I'm not too far away, but I'll have to be careful that I'm not seen_ ,” Rose thought to him.

 

“ _Do your best, love. This is a disaster. They've already killed hundreds of prisoners, they're going to dissolve the entire multiverse_ ,” the Doctor replied. She could feel his anguish over the lives already lost.

 

“ _I'll be there soon_ ,” Rose assured him and closed the connection so that she could focus on her surroundings.

 

There was suddenly a transmission coming through the audio system in the Vault. The voice of Martha Jones came through loudly, “This message is for the Dalek Crucible. Repeat. Can you hear me?”

 

“Put me through!” the Doctor demanded.

 

“It begins, as Dalek Caan foretold,” Davros said as he flicked a switch to allow communication.

 

“The Children of Time will gather and the Wolf will howl!” Caan giggled disturbingly.

 

“Stop saying that. Put me through!” the Doctor shouted.

 

Martha appeared on the screen, surprise written on her face. “Doctor! I'm sorry, I had to,” she said sadly.

 

“Oh, but the Doctor is powerless. My prisoner. State your intent,” Davros interrupted to claim control of the situation.

 

“I've got the Osterhagen Key. Leave this planet and its people alone or I'll use it,” Martha threatened.

 

“Osterhagen what? What's an Osterhagen Key?” the Doctor asked confusedly.

 

“There's a chain of twenty-five nuclear warheads placed in strategic points beneath the Earth's crust. If I use the Key, they detonate and the Earth gets ripped apart,” Martha explained.

 

“What?!” the Doctor shouted incredulously. “Who invented that? Well, someone called Osterhagen, I suppose. Martha, are you insane?!” 

 

“The Osterhagen Key is to be used if the suffering of the human race is so great, so without hope, that this becomes the final option,” Martha informed him.

 

“That's never an option,” the Doctor sighed.

 

“Don't argue with me Doctor!” she shouted in reply. “Because it's more than that. Now, I reckon the Daleks need these twenty-seven planets for something. But what if it becomes twenty-six? What happens then? Daleks? Would you risk it?”

 

“But Martha, what about all those people?” Donna cried.

 

“One planet for the rest of the universe?” Martha replied. 

 

The Doctor felt that statement stab both his hearts. Not again. He would not allow the Daleks to force the destruction of another planet he loved (or any planet, really) for the sake of the universe.

 

“SECOND TRANSMISSION, INTERNAL,” a Dalek announced and another screen appeared next to Martha with an image of Jack Harkness along with Mickey, Pete and Sarah Jane.

 

“Captain Jack Harkness, calling all Dalek boys and girls. Are you receiving me?” Jack said confidently as he held up the Warp Star with several wires attached to it. “Don't send in your goons, or I'll set this thing off.”

 

“Oh my god, he's alive!” Donna shouted.

 

“Mickey, Pete, Captain, what are you doing?” the Doctor asked as the situation just got more complicated. There were too many separate plans in motion at once for him to control all the variables.

 

“I've got a Warp Star wired into the mainframe,” Jack explained. “I break this shell, the entire Crucible goes up.”

 

“You can't! Where did you get a Warp Star?” the Doctor argued.

 

“From me. We had no choice. We saw what happened to the prisoners,” Sarah added as she moved into the camera range.

 

“Impossible. That face,” Davros breathed. “After all these years.”

 

“Davros, it's been quite a while. Sarah Jane Smith, Remember?” she addressed him angrily. He had tortured her the last time they met.

 

“Oh, this is meant to be. The circle of time is closing. You were there on Skaro at the very beginning of my creation,” he said gleefully.

 

“And I've learned out to fight since then. You let the Doctor go, or this Warp Star, it gets opened!” she shouted.

 

“I'll do it. Don't imagine I wouldn't,” Jack threatened as he gripped the chain and wires tighter.

 

“I think you're all mad!” Donna interjected. She turned to the Doctor and he looked like someone had killed his puppy. “Doctor? What is it?”

 

“And the prophecy unfolds,” Davros said in satisfaction.

 

“See him, see the heart of him,” Caan squealed from his platform.

 

“The man who abhors violence, never carrying a gun,” Davros taunted. “But this is the truth, Doctor. You take ordinary people and you fashion them into weapons.”

 

“ _I'm in the room now, love. Don't listen to him, you teach us to make a stand for good_ ,” Rose whispered lovingly into his mind.

 

“Behold your Children of Time, transformed into murderers. I made the Daleks, Doctor. You made this,” the taunting continued.

 

“They're trying to help,” the Doctor said sadly, though he tried to believe Rose's words.

 

“Already I have seen them sacrificed today, for their beloved Doctor. The Earth woman who fell opening the Subwave Network,” Davros continued.

 

“Who was that?” the Doctor asked.

 

“Harriet Jones,” Jack said from the screen.

 

“How many more? Just think. How many have died in your name?” Davros asked and paused to let his words sink in.

 

Instead, Rose sang into his mind, “ _Don't you dare let him make you doubt like that. Think of how many have LIVED because of you. The people who sacrifice themselves do it to save everyone else, not because you caused the tragedy to happen, but because you showed them how they could help. And we will continue to save as many as we can through all of time and space my love! Teaching our son to do the same when we can't anymore!_ ”

 

“ _I love you, Rose. You've always believed in me and I believe in you. Get to the console beneath the displays overhead. Get a good look at what's there, but don't touch anything yet_ ,” he thought back to her.

 

“The Doctor. The man who keeps running, never looking back because he dare not, out of shame. This is my final victory, Doctor. I have shown you yourself,” Davros finished.

 

“ENOUGH. ENGAGE DEFENSE ZERO FIVE,” the Supreme Dalek ordered impatiently.

 

“It's the Crucible or the Earth,” Martha affirmed.

 

In an instant, all of the people who had been on the screens were transported into the Vault.

 

“I've got you. It's alright,” Jack said as he caught Martha before she fell over in dizziness.

 

“Don't move! All of you, stay still,” the Doctor demanded.

 

“Guard them! On your knees, all of you. Surrender!” Davros ordered.

 

“Do as he says,” the Doctor told them, hoping to keep them all alive. The Daleks wouldn't hesitate to fire on any of them if they tried to escape. He could feel Rose asking for help with the controls in front of her and tried to see what she was seeing. Indicating as quickly as possible, which buttons would deactivate the holding cells, which would shut down the Dalek's weapons and what sequence should shut down the Reality Bomb, he prepared himself to run and help.

 

“The final prophecy is in place. The Doctor and his children, all gathered as witnesses. Supreme Dalek, the time has come. Now, detonate the Reality Bomb!” Davros said haltingly as he relished in his apparent victory.

 

“ACTIVATE PLANETARY ALIGNMENT FIELD. UNIVERSAL REALITY DETONATION IN TWO HUNDRED RELS,” the Supreme Dalek announced.

 

“Oh, Davros. I think you are forgetting one more prophesy that Dalek Caan mentioned,” the Doctor said confidently as he tested successfully that his holding cell had been deactivated. 

 

Caan giggled and squirmed as the end drew near.

 

“And what prophesy is that, Doctor?” Davros asked.

 

“Well, he said that the Wolf would howl. Now me, I only know one Wolf and hearing her howl is actually one of my favourite things in the universe,” he said with a wink towards Jack and his hands confidently buried in his pockets as he rocked on his heels. “Oh, and that lovely Wolf was the same one that destroyed the Dalek Emperor as well,” he added with a raised eyebrow.

 

Suddenly, the Doctor dashed over to the controls to help his wife.

 

“EXTERMINATE!” one of the Daleks shouted and tried to fire.

 

“Aw, did I turn off your guns?” Rose said cheekily as she popped up from behind the control panel.

 

“This is not possible!” Davros shouted and alarms rang throughout the Crucible.

 

“SYSTEM SHUTDOWN. DETONATION NEGATIVE,” a Dalek shrieked.

 

“EXPLAIN. EXPLAIN. EXPLAIN!” the Supreme Dalek shouted in response.

 

“Exterminate them!” Davros shouted and pointed towards the Doctor and Rose.

 

“WEAPONS NON-FUNCTIONAL,” the Daleks replied.

 

“Ooh, I can help! Best temp in Chiswick! Hundred words per minute!” Donna shouted happily and ran towards the Doctor.

 

Just as she was getting close, however, Davros himself fired an energy bolt at Donna. It struck her squarely in the back and she fell to the floor, unconscious.

 

“Donna!!” Rose and the Doctor screamed simultaneously. 

 

Their friends all gasped in horror at the sight. The Doctor immediately pressed the buttons that would shut down Davros' systems as Rose ran to Donna's side.

 

“Oh my god! Quick! Mickey, carry her to the infirmary in the TARDIS. It's down that way, second hallway on the left. Here's my key,” Rose ordered as she thrust her key at him.

 

“I'll go with him, I'm a doctor,” Martha said as she rushed to help as well. The two of them, carefully picked her up and carried the unconscious woman back to the TARDIS.

 

“I've sealed the Vault. Now, Rose, come back here, love, I need your help sending all these planets back where they belong,” the Doctor called to her.

 

Mickey, Pete and Jack stood ready against the currently defenceless Daleks and Sarah Jane watched the Doctor and Rose as they happily sent back each and every planet.

 

“But you promised me, Dalek Caan. Why did you not foresee this?” Davros pleaded.

 

“Oh, I think he did. Something's been manipulating the timelines for ages, getting Donna Noble to the right place to save my life, getting Rose back across the Void at the right time,” the Doctor said with a glance and a smile for his wife.

 

“This was not my doing, Doctor. This was the plan of the Wolf, I only helped,” Caan replied.

 

“You betrayed the Daleks,” Davros accused.

 

“I saw the Daleks. What we have done, throughout time and space. The Wolf showed me the truth of us, Creator, and together we decreed, no more!” Caan replied with a tone that held more sanity than it had displayed the whole day. “The prophesy must be completed, Wolf.”

 

“Don't listen to him,” Davros pleaded desperately.

 

The Doctor looked on in horror as Rose began to shine with a golden glow that he had only seen once before.

 

“I am the Bad Wolf,” she announced in an ethereal tone. “Even without the Reality Bomb, the Daleks would battle to slaughter the cosmos. They must be stopped.”

 

“No! Rose, don't! Please!” the Doctor begged. He didn't want more Dalek blood on her hands. She had already destroyed them all at the Game Station.

 

“My Doctor,” she said softly as shimmering eyes gazed at him. “You know what they are capable of. In two minutes, they will all be thrust back into the Time Lock of the War. Get back to the TARDIS.” 

 

The golden light faded from her, and Rose fainted into the arms of her husband.

 

“Everyone! To the TARDIS now!” he shouted as he lifted Rose into his arms. He hated that the Bad Wolf was right. The Daleks would never have ceased in their efforts to destroy everything. Without looking back, he followed his friends back to his beloved ship. It was time to go meet his son.

 

They successfully dematerialized from the Dalek Crucible before it and all of the ships disappeared in a swirl of golden energy. When they materialized back on Earth a few moments later, no one immediately stepped out of the TARDIS. They were all gathered in the infirmary.

 


	6. The Aftermath

Chapter Six – The Aftermath

 

As soon as they had dematerialized from the Dalek Crucible, the Doctor made a quick telepathic scan of Rose's mind. She seemed to just be sleeping so he left her lying on the jump seat while he landed the TARDIS back on Earth.

 

As soon as they thumped back into existence, he brought her to the infirmary, where Martha was working frantically to figure out how to help Donna. He placed Rose on one of the neighbouring beds and set the scanners to monitor her vitals until she awoke.

 

“Martha, what have we got?” he asked as he looked over at the screens displaying Donna's vitals.

 

“There's extensive nerve damage, I'm not sure what I can do,” Martha replied in frustration.

 

“I've got just the thing!” the Doctor shouted as he ran to one of the nearby cupboards to retrieve a blue, wand-like device with several flashing lights. 

 

He held it over Donna's head and neck, moving it slowly downwards as the lights changed from red to green. When he reached her lower back, however, the lights flashed red and the device gave off an angry sounding buzz.

 

“No! Don't you dare!” the Doctor growled, banging on the handle furiously.

 

He activated the device again, only to have it repeat the flashing red lights and buzzing noise. He threw the frustrating machine angrily onto a nearby counter and leaned his hands on the bed next to Donna, his head downcast.

 

“Doctor? What's that mean?” Martha asked gingerly.

 

Heaving a mighty sigh, the Doctor explained, “I could heal most of the nerve damage Davros inflicted with that device, but the section where the energy directly hit her is too far gone. She'll be paralyzed from the waist down.”

 

Martha and Sarah Jane both gasped and took each other's hands. Jack, Pete and Mickey looked on sadly from where they stood next to the still unconscious Rose. The Doctor took Donna's hand and squeezed it as a single tear fell down his cheek. He looked up suddenly when he felt her squeeze back.

 

“Mmrph... what's going on, Spaceman? My head is splitting,” Donna mumbled.

 

“You were struck by an energy weapon, Donna. What's the last thing you remember?” he asked, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice.

 

“Umm, Rose had just shut off the holding cells and I was gonna help you with all the buttons and things. It all goes black after that,” she replied. “Why can't I feel my legs, Doctor? Have you got me on some weird medicine or something?”

 

“No, Donna,” he said softly, not quite sure how to break this news.

 

“Then why can't I feel them?” Donna pressed for an answer.

 

“Donna, the weapon that hit you, did a lot of damage. I wouldn't have been able to even keep you alive if we were just on Earth, but the Doctor was able to fix most of it,” Martha explained. “But... not all of it.”

 

“Doctor?” Donna prompted him more urgently for some kind of response.

 

“I'm sorry, Donna. I'm so sorry, but I can't fix the rest of it,” he replied as another tear fell down his face.

 

Donna's eyes started to fill with tears as she absorbed the news. “Oh my god,” she cried and covered her face with her hands.

 

Martha and Sarah Jane moved to the side of her bed, opposite where the Doctor was standing to try and offer some support. There wasn't really anything more that could be done. She was lucky to be alive. Her mind was functioning perfectly and she wasn't in pain, but she would never walk again.

 

“I was gonna stay travelling with you forever, Doctor. What am I gonna do now?” Donna asked desperately.

 

“I'll tell you what you're gonna do, Donna,” Jack said assuringly. “You're gonna come work with me at Torchwood.”

 

“Doing what? I'm nothing! I'm just a temp!” she shouted angrily.

 

“Donna, please don't talk about yourself like that,” the Doctor begged. He felt completely at fault for what had happened to her. Why hadn't he shut down Davros' systems right away?

 

“We need help over there. We used to be a team of five, but two of our people died recently. I'm sure that someone with your skills and experience would be perfect. Even if you can't run with the Doctor anymore,” Jack said confidently.

 

“I think you can probably count me and Mickey in as well, Captain. We have a bit of experience with another Torchwood,” Pete added.

 

“Yeah, Captain Cheesecake. Pete here was the Director of Torchwood in the parallel universe where we were living,” Mickey explained.

 

“Sounds like I might have myself the perfect team! What do you say, Donna? You gonna help me whip these boys into shape?” Jack asked with his award-winning smile. “Come on, Gwen could use another woman around to talk to. And I'll never complain about another pretty face.”

 

“I'll keep it in mind, handsome. Just... I might need some time. To think about things and... adjust,” Donna replied sadly.

 

“Whatever you need,” Jack told her with a nod.

 

The Doctor took her hand again and asked, “Should we get you home, Donna? I'm sure your mum and granddad are worried about you. And... well, I believe my son is waiting for me there as well.”

 

“Yeah, let's go, Spaceman,” she said and wiped the tears from her face.

 

The TARDIS provided them with a somewhat futuristic looking wheelchair. As they were helping Donna into it, there was a soft mumble from Rose.

 

“Doctor? What happened?” Rose whispered and he dashed to her side after handing off Donna into Jack and Martha's care.

 

“I'm here, love. What's the last you remember?” he asked as he swept some hair from her face.

 

Rose's brow furrowed a moment in thought before she replied, “We sent all the planets back where they belonged and I think Caan kept saying something about a Wolf. Then I heard singing, it was like when the TARDIS was helping me, but I can't remember what happened after that.”

 

“We had a visit from the Bad Wolf. She took over, like on the Game Station and sent the Daleks back into the Time Lock of the War,” the Doctor answered. “How do you feel now? You've been asleep for a while.”

 

“Actually, I feel really good. I want to see my baby again, are we going back to Donna's?” she asked.

 

“Yeah,” he said quietly with a nod, but the look on his face told her that something was seriously wrong.

 

“What is it?” she asked as she sat up and saw everyone else. Gasping, she jumped to Donna's side. “Are you alright? I remember you were hurt, are you ok now?”

 

“I will be,” Donna said as her gaze connected with the Doctor and she gave him a reassuring smile. That was Donna, nothing would stop her.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Back at the Noble's house, Donna had a tearful reunion with her mother and granddad. She tried to explain how she was lucky to be alive at all, but Sylvia still blamed the Doctor for her injuries. She nearly screamed the house down at first and was still glaring daggers at him.

 

Rose immediately ran to her mother for a hug and as she pulled away with a smile, she took the baby from her mother's arms and turned to face the Doctor. At the sight of the little, blue bundle in her arms, happy tears began to fill his eyes.

 

“Doctor, I'd like you to meet, Jamie,” Rose said as she gently placed him in her husband's arms.

 

The Doctor smiled brightly and placed his forehead against his son's, revelling in the presence of another telepathic mind. The empty space that had been left after the destruction of Gallifrey, was now filled with his growing family.

 

Donna was getting frustrated with moving around the narrow hallways and completely inaccessible upstairs. She had resorted to shouting for everything she needed and the Doctor resolved to find her a solution as soon as possible.

 

At the moment, however, he was snuggling with his absolutely precious, one month old son. Cradling him gently in his arms, the Doctor caressed his son's mind telepathically. He had never dreamed that he would be a father again (especially after the disaster surrounding Jenny) and he smiled blissfully at Rose as she made tea for everyone.

 

“Ok, Doctor. What are we gonna do now?” Jackie said finally. “We've got nothing here and apparently Rose and I are both listed as dead for years now. And Pete here has been dead for over twenty years. We've got no jobs, no money and you're just sitting there, cooing at Jamie.”

 

“Jackie,” Jack interrupted and nodded at the Doctor that he was off the hook for now. “I'm in charge of Torchwood here. I'll get you guys set up with new identification and Pete and Mickey have already agreed to come work for me. That means we'll find all of you places to settle in Cardiff. It'll be fine. And I'm sure Rose and Jamie will be just fine in the TARDIS with daddy over there.”

 

“You see, Jackie? Nothing to worry about,” the Doctor said with a smile and went back to staring into Jamie's ice blue eyes that reminded him so much of his last incarnation.

 

“And what about me?” Donna said softly from the other side of the room.

 

“I told you, Donna. You are more than welcome to come to Cardiff. I'll find you a place that's completely accessible and we could really use your help in the Hub,” Jack reaffirmed.

 

“Jack, you are a lifesaver,” Rose said and hugged him tightly. “Let's get searching for places in Cardiff.”

 

Several hours, much internet searching and multiple arguments later, all of the arrangements were made for moving several people to Cardiff. Sylvia and Wilfred decided to stay where they were for the time being and Donna decided that a bit of independence would do her good.

 

The Doctor skipped them all over to the dates where they could move into their new homes and as soon as he could manage it, spun the TARDIS carrying his wife and child off into the Vortex.

 

The TARDIS created a nursery for Jamie attached to the Doctor and Rose's bedroom, but they were currently snuggled together on their bed with Jamie nestled between them. The Doctor's room hadn't looked like this since he'd lost her. The TARDIS had made him a new bedroom, that he rarely used, so that he wouldn't have to face her memory every time he needed to sleep. Now that she was back, the room was almost exactly as it was when Rose had left.

 

“This is so perfect, Rose,” her husband said dreamily as his fingers brushed the bottoms of Jamie's feet, making him giggle adorably.

 

“It really is, Doctor,” she agreed with a beaming smile.

 

“Let's take a holiday,” he mused. “Somewhere warm, I think.”

 

“Sounds perfect,” she replied and soon, all three of them were asleep, dreaming of what was to come.

 


	7. The Next Doctor: Part One

 

Chapter Seven – The Next Doctor: Part One

 

 

For the next five months, the TARDIS allowed her little family the vacation they so deserved. All trips landed them exactly where the Doctor intended them to go; safe, warm and sunny. After such a traumatic separation, Jamie, Rose and the Doctor needed some time to bond as a family, without needing to run for their lives just yet.

 

It was positively domestic and the Doctor was revelling in it.

 

“No, Doctor. _Not again_ ,” Rose said as she finished dressing Jamie in a bright blue onesie and little, red sneakers.

 

“But _Rose_ ,” the Doctor whined. “I still can't make heads or tails of the scans I've done and I just found that new device on our last trip that might be able to give me a better scan of your altered genetics. The TARDIS keeps giving me inconclusive results.”

 

“No. You're making me feel like a lab rat. Am I healthy?” Rose asked.

 

“Well, yes...” he said reluctantly and tugged on his ear.

 

“Is there anything wrong with me?” she questioned further.

 

“No, but you see that's the thing! In the past five months that you've been here there hasn't been a single thing wrong with you,” he said and at her glare, back pedalled a little, “Not, not, not that I'm complaining, love. Far from it, but you've not had a single cold, headache, not even a scratch!”

 

“I've had scratches, Doctor,” she said and carried Jamie towards the console room with her husband following closely.

 

“Really? Because I can assure you that I have been making a very thorough, daily inspection of every inch of your glorious skin, and I have not once found a single scratch,” he said deeply in her ear as he put his hands on her shoulders from behind.

 

“Well, they just kind of... go away,” Rose said evasively.

 

“ _Go away?!_ And you don't think that's odd?! Within the same day? Within hours, every single scratch is completely GONE and you don't think I should be worried at all?” the Doctor insisted.

 

“Alright! It's odd, but you can't find anything wrong with me, and I would think that healing quickly like that would be a GOOD thing. I'm starting to wonder if letting Torchwood dissect me wouldn't have been easier,” Rose shouted back and stormed outside the TARDIS with Jamie onto the sunny beach of the tiny island they had found.

 

The Doctor raced out the doors after her, his suit jacket left behind and his shirtsleeves rolled up. “Rose, please don't say that! I'm sorry. I didn't realize that I was making you so uncomfortable. I'll try to stop worrying about it for now. You're right. I AM happy that you are healing quickly and the implications that might have on your lifespan; I just don't like not knowing what's going on,” he said as he fell into step beside her and took her hand, their bracelets clinking together with a bright ping.

 

Rose relaxed instantly as she felt his love and overpowering need to protect her. She knew he didn't mean to make her feel like a pin cushion, but months of constant tests were making her crazy.

 

“Let's just leave it for a little while and we can look at it again, with fresh eyes in a year or so. How does that sound?” she relented.

 

“Alright,” he said with a sigh. “How about another trip? We've been doing sun and sand for months. I'm in the mood for something different. Maybe, eighteen hundreds, Earth?”

 

“Ooh, I could wear that dress from when we met Charles Dickens!” she exclaimed happily.

 

The Doctor's eyes glazed over a bit at that and a dreamy smile graced his lips. Rose smirked and waved her hand in front of his face. “What? Oh! Yes, that would be lovely, Rose,” he squeaked in surprise before grinning at her mischievously.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

The TARDIS materialized beneath a wide stone archway and the Doctor stepped out the door to look around. With a wide grin, he called back inside, “It's lovely, Rose! Snow and everything!”

 

“Wonderful! It's been so long since I've seen real snow,” Rose replied and shut the door behind her. She was wearing her lovely burgundy and black dress with a black wrap covering her shoulders and Jamie was in a black sling, holding him snugly in front of her. They often needed to run and Rose had quickly adopted the use of a baby sling rather than a stroller for that reason.

 

The Doctor took her hand and laced their fingers as they strolled through the snowy streets of London. They smiled and laughed as they passed all of the happy people, shopping and singing. There were holiday decorations adorning the doorways and vendors roasting chestnuts.

 

He called to a young boy passing by, “You there, boy. What day is this?”

 

“Christmas Eve, sir,” he replied happily.

 

“What year?” he asked.

 

“You thick or something?” the child said indignantly.

 

“Oi! Just answer the question,” he scolded.

 

“Year of our Lord 1851, sir,” the boy informed him, familiar with being chastised.

 

“Right. Nice year,” the Doctor commented as they continued strolling down the street. “Bit dull.”

 

“Well, the past few months have been a bit dull by our usual standards, Doctor,” Rose teased with a grin.

 

Suddenly, they heard a woman shouting, “Doctor! Doctor!”

 

Rose and her husband looked towards the alleyway where the call was coming from. Then looked at each other in surprise.

 

“Who me?” he asked and with a manic grin on both of their faces, they linked hands and began to run. Jamie squealed with delight from being bounced around in his mother's arms.

 

They skidded around the snowy corners and through the streets until they came to the woman who was still shouting, “Doctor!” She had dark skin and long, curled hair. Her dress was thin and she had to be cold in the blowing snow.

 

“Don't worry, don't worry. Stand back. What have we got here?” the Doctor said as he appraised the situation. The double doors in front of them moved as if something were trying to break through from the other side. “Ooo. Ok, I've got it. Whatever's behind that door, I think you should get out of here,” he instructed the woman who had called him here, knowing full well that Rose wouldn't leave now that things were getting interesting.

 

“Doctor!” she shouted again.

 

“No, no. I”m standing right here. Hello,” he informed her with a small wave.

 

“Don't be stupid! Who are you?” the curly-haired woman asked.

 

“I'm the Doctor,” he stated.

 

“He's the Doctor,” Rose assured her with a nod.

 

“Doctor who?” the unknown woman insisted.

 

“Just the Doctor,” he replied.

 

“Well, there can't be two of you,” she argued and another man came running up to the group. “Where the hell have you been?” she directed at the new man who seemed a little out of breath.

 

“Right then. Don't worry. Stand back. What have we got here then?” the other man said with authority.

 

“Hold on, hold on. Who are you?” the Doctor asked as Rose looked at him curiously.

 

“I'm the Doctor. Simply, the Doctor. The one, the only and the best,” he said with a wink. “Rosita, give me the sonic screwdriver,” he added and the woman handed him something.

 

“The _what_?” the Doctor asked in shock.

 

“Now quickly, get back to the TARDIS,” the new Doctor added.

 

“ _Back to the what_?” the Doctor asked in growing disbelief.

 

“If you could stand back, sir. This is a job for a Time Lord,” the new Doctor said confidently as he tried to guide the Doctor away and turned towards the rattling doors.

 

“Job for a What Lord?” the Doctor questioned the man who should have recognized him if he really was a future Doctor.

 

Rose watched this interaction in growing amusement. Her husband being baffled by something was a rarity and he currently seemed well and truly confused. She stifled a giggle and bounced Jamie lightly in her arms.

 

Just then, the doors burst open and there was a creature with a face similar to a Cyberman, but smaller and copper coloured, rather than silver. The creature growled slightly and the two Doctors spoke simultaneously.

 

“Oh, that's different,” said the Doctor.

 

“Oh that's new,” said the new Doctor.

 

They both pointed their screwdrivers at the thing and said in unison, “Allons-y!”

 

“Now _that's_ just a little bit creepy,” Rose said from the sidelines. She kept her distance, but knew that with two Doctors around, she likely didn't have too much to worry about. It was a new experience though. She guessed it made sense that you could meet yourself at some point when you were a Time Lord.

 

The furry cyber-creature growled and lunged towards the new Doctor as he pushed Rose's Doctor behind him.

 

“I've been hunting this beast for a good fortnight. Now, step back, sir,” he said and the creature leapt over their heads and onto the wall of a nearby building.

 

“Well, it is agile isn't it?” Rose remarked.

 

“Some sort of primitive conversion. Like they took the brain of a cat or a dog,” the Doctor postulated.

 

“Well, talking's all very well,” the strange man said, rolling his eyes. “Rosita?” the new Doctor called.

 

“I'm ready,” she said as she handed him a large coil of rope.

 

“Now, watch and learn,” the next Doctor said as he swung a huge lasso over his head and looped it around the cyber-creature on his first try.

 

“Impressive,” Rose smirked and the new Doctor winked at her.

 

“Yeah, you can stop that now, love,” the Doctor grumbled.

 

“Excellent. Now then, let's pull this timorous beastie down to earth,” the new Doctor said as he wrapped the rope securely around his arms before trying to pull it down.

 

“I thought I was your timorous beastie?” Rose commented in a horrid Scottish accent.

 

The new Doctor looked at her confusedly before he was suddenly pulled upwards as the beast began to climb the wall.

 

“I might be in a little bit of trouble,” the new Doctor admitted nervously as he hung from the rope.

 

“Nothing changes. I've got you!” the Doctor shouted as he grabbed onto the rope as well.

 

“Yeah, that might not be such a good idea,” Rose remarked as the beast continued to climb, pulling both men up the side of the building.

 

“You idiots!” Rosita cursed. She grabbed an axe from nearby and started running up the stairs of the building.

 

“Perhaps if you could pull?” the new Doctor asked the man below him.

 

“I am pulling. In this position, I couldn't not pull, could I?” the Doctor shouted back.

 

The beast climbed into a window and for a moment, they just dangled from the rope precariously.

 

“Then I suggest you let go, sir,” the new Doctor called down to him.

 

“I'm not letting you out of my sight, Doctor. Don't you recognize me?” the Doctor asked. This man somehow knew that he was the Doctor, but didn't remember his past faces? The facts at hand were not adding up.

 

“No, should I? Have we met? This is hardly the right time for me to go through my social calendar. Argh!” he shouted as the rope suddenly jerked and pulled them both up through the window and across the floor of an abandoned open room.

 

Both men shouted as they were dragged along the dusty floor. Their wrists were tangled in the rope, making it impossible for either to let go. They watched worriedly as the beast headed for another open window.

 

“It's going to jump!” the Doctor shouted.

 

“We're gonna fall!” the new Doctor realized.

 

Just in time, Rosita ran to the window and cut the rope with the axe and the two Doctors skidded to a stop. They rolled around and stretched as they grunted in pain from being tossed about.

 

It was at that point that Rose made it to the top of the stairs, breathing more heavily than usual for the distance she ran.

 

“Rose, it's not like you to take so long,” the Doctor commented.

 

“Don't even start, you! I'm running up stairs, in period footwear, while toting a six month old baby on my hip. I may be a good runner, Doctor, but Jamie isn't weightless,” Rose argued.

 

“You're right, love. I'm sorry. Though it's probably a good thing that I wasn't carrying him on that trip!” the Doctor replied.

 

Both men started laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. Rose just shook her head at her husband's usual antics. She still wasn't quite sure what to make of this other man who claimed to be the Doctor and yet wasn't somehow. The Doctor took Jamie from his wife to carry him back down the stairs and give her a break as they followed him.

 

“Well, I'm glad you think it's so funny. You're mad. Both of you. You could've been killed,” Rosita complained as they descended the stairs.

 

“But, evidently, we were not,” the new Doctor replied. “Oh, I should introduce Rosita. My faithful companion. Always telling me off.”

 

“Well, they do, don't they?” the Doctor said with a smile, until he flinched from an elbow to the ribs and a glare from his wife. “Rosita, good name. Hello, Rosita. This is my wife, Rose, and our son, Jamie.”

 

“A pleasure, madam,” the new Doctor said, shaking Rose's hand politely.

 

“Huh. Now I'll have to go and dismantle the traps. All that for nothing. And we've only got twenty minutes 'til the funeral, don't forget. Then back to the TARDIS, right?” Rosita lectured as she left the scene.

 

“Funeral?” the Doctor asked as he continued to try and put all the clues together, this was quite the mystery.

 

“Oh, long story. Not my own, not yet. Oh, I'm not as young as I was,” the new Doctor said as he stretched out his sore muscles.

 

“Well, not as young as you were when you were me,” the Doctor suggested. If he was the Doctor, he had to be a future Doctor. Maybe he could jog his memory?

 

“When I was who?” the new Doctor asked and looked at the Doctor in confusion. They moved to stand near a fire pit to warm their hands as they talked.

 

“You really don't recognize me? Or Rose, maybe?” the Doctor asked. Even when he had been stuck inside the fob watch, he had remembered Rose.

 

“Not at all,” the new Doctor replied.

 

“But you're the Doctor. The next Doctor. Or the next but one. A future Doctor anyway. No, no, don't tell me how it happened. Although, I hope I don't just trip over a brick. That'd be embarrassing. Then again, painless... worse ways to go... depends on the brick,” the Doctor rambled until Rose smacked him on the arm.

 

“Don't go throwing them away, thank you!” Rose chastised.

 

“You're gabbling, sir. Now might I ask, who are you, exactly?” the new Doctor asked.

 

“No, I'm ... er... I'm just,” he stumbled for a bit and looked nervously towards his wife as he settled on something. “Tyler! John Tyler. John and Rose Tyler with our lovely son, Jamie. But we've heard all about you, Doctor. Bit of a legend, if I say so myself.”

 

“Ooh, definitely legendary!” Rose agreed and grabbed her husband's backside, out of sight of the other man. The Doctor squeaked a bit and shifted Jamie in his arms to hide his response to his wife's actions.

 

“Modesty forbids me to agree with you, sir. But, yes. Yes, I am,” the new Doctor replied with a grin.

 

“A legend with certain memories missing. Am I right?” the Doctor asked and the new Doctor looked up at him suddenly.

 

“How do you know that?” he questioned in surprise.

 

“You've forgotten us,” the Doctor replied.

 

“ _Doctor, couldn't you just use your telepathy to go in his mind and find out what's wrong?_ ” Rose thought to him silently.

 

“ _Memory loss is a tricky thing, love. It doesn't seem like he used the Chameleon Arch, because he still thinks he's the Doctor. But he doesn't even seem to know about regeneration at all and even when I had used the Arch and lost all my memories, I still remembered you_ ,” he thought back to his beloved wife. “ _I don't want to do more damage_.”

 

“Great swathes of my life have been stolen away. When I turn my mind to the past, there's nothing,” the new Doctor explained.

 

“Going how far back?” the Doctor asked.

 

“Since the Cybermen. Masters of that hellish wall-scuttler and old enemies of mine, now at work in London town. You won't believe this, Mr. and Mrs. Tyler, but they are creatures from another world,” the new Doctor said, expecting some kind of surprise from the pair.

 

“Really? Wow,” the Doctor muttered plainly as he took in all of the man's comments. Jamie gurgled happily at the talk of aliens, he was very smart for his age.

 

“It's said they fell onto London, out of the sky in a blaze of light. And they found me. Something was taken. And something was lost. What was I like, in the past?” the new Doctor asked, desperate for some knowledge to fill the gaps in his mind.

 

“I don't think I should say. Sorry, got to be careful with memory loss. One wrong word...” the Doctor trailed off in thought.

 

“It's strange though, I talk of Cybermen from the stars and you don't blink, either of you,” the new Doctor said, looking at them curiously.

 

“Ah! Don't blink! Remember that? Whatever you do, don't blink? The blinking and the statues? Sally and the angels? No?” the Doctor rambled again, hoping to nudge some memory loose.

 

“You're a very odd man,” the new Doctor commented.

 

Rose snickered and joked, “That's putting it lightly.”

 

“Oi!” the Doctor responded indignantly.

 

“Oh, the funeral! The funeral's at two o'clock. It's been a pleasure Mr and Mrs Tyler. Don't breathe a word of it,” the new Doctor said as he started to leave.

 

“Oh, but can't I come with you?” the Doctor asked as he handed Jamie back into Rose's arms and started to walk after him.

 

“It's far too dangerous. Rest assured, I shall keep this city safe. Oh, and uh, Merry Christmas to you and your lovely family, sir,” the new Doctor called as he waved goodbye.

 

“Merry Christmas, Doctor,” the Doctor said and urged Rose to walk with him as they followed at a distance.

 

“Something's wrong here,” the Doctor said to Rose seriously.

 

“Yeah. Is he really you? Shouldn't we be able to feel him?” she asked and tapped her temple.

 

“Well... not being in the same time stream could be affecting the bond. Or whatever has caused his memory problems could have closed off access to certain areas of his brain. I just don't know,” he admitted with a sigh. “What I _do_ know, however, is that there are Cybermen here and we are _not_ leaving.”

 

Rose smiled and asked, “What's the plan, Sarge?”

 

“You two are going on a reconnaissance mission, Lewis. I want you to check out that funeral. I'm going to follow the other Doctor, because he is not heading towards the graveyard,” the Doctor said as he gestured toward the man, who seemed to be heading towards the backdoor of someone's house while the funeral procession moved down the street.

 

“We're on it!” she replied and gave him a sweet kiss before following the mourners.

 

The Doctor used his sonic to easily enter the house via the front door and walked through to the back to open the door for the new Doctor. “Hello,” the Doctor said with a grin.

 

Gaping slightly at the other man, the new Doctor asked, “How did you get in?”

 

“Oh, front door. I'm good at doors. Er, do you mind my asking, is that your sonic screwdriver?” the Doctor asked, looking curiously at the completely normal screwdriver the other man was holding.

 

Smiling proudly, the new Doctor replied, “Yes! I'd be lost without it.”

 

“But, that's a screwdriver. How's it sonic?” he asked as he rubbed the back of his neck, another obviously wrong fact making the situation even more confusing.

 

“Well, er, it makes a noise,” he said as he tapped the handle on the door frame. “That's sonic, isn't it? Now, since we're acting like common burglars, I suggest we get out of plain view.” The new Doctor moved past the rather confused man in pinstripes and began to search the house.

 

“This investigation of yours, what's it about?” the Doctor asked as he followed the other man into an office.

 

“It started with a murder,” the new Doctor replied as he checked the desk drawers for anything suspicious.

 

“Oh, good,” the Doctor responded brightly. All the good mystery stories started that way, after all. The other man stared at him, appalled by his reaction to someone's death. “I mean... bad, but whose?” the Doctor amended.

 

“Mr. Jackson Lake, a teacher of mathematics from Sussex. He came to London three weeks ago and died a terrible death,” the new Doctor explained.

 

“Cybermen?” the Doctor deduced.

 

“It's hard to say. His body was never found. But then it started. More secret murders, then abductions. Children, stolen away in silence,” the man replied.

 

If his body was never found, why would he say that the man had died a terrible death? And what connects that with this place? The Doctor was building up more questions than answers.

 

“So, whose house is this?” the Doctor asked.

 

“The latest murder,” the new Doctor replied as he looked carefully on the shelves around the room. “The Reverend Aubrey Fairchild, found with burns to his forehead, like some advanced form of electrocution.”

 

“But who was he? Was he important?” the Doctor pressed for more information. Just having died wasn't a connection on its own.

 

“You ask a lot of questions,” the new Doctor observed and stopped searching to look, slightly accusingly, at the man before him.

 

“I'm your companion,” the Doctor stated simply. Wasn't that what his companions were supposed to do? Ask the right questions to give him the brilliant ideas? Pausing another moment, the new Doctor nodded, accepting the answer.

 

“The Reverend was the pillar of the community, a member of many parish boards. A keen advocated of children's charities,” the new Doctor informed him.

 

Children again... best keep a close eye on Jamie, he thought to himself. “But why would the Cybermen want him dead? And what's his connection to the first death, this Jackson Lake?” the Doctor wondered aloud.

 

“It's funny. I seem to be telling you everything, as though you engendered some sort of trust. You seem familiar, Mr. Tyler. I know your face. But how?” he realized all of a sudden.

 

“I wonder. I can't help noticing you're wearing a fob watch,” the Doctor said. It certainly wouldn't hurt to check, even if the facts weren't fitting with that solution quite right.

 

“Is that important?” the man asked as he took the watch from his pocket and fiddled with it in his hands.

 

“Legend has it that the memories of a Time Lord can be contained within a watch. Do you mind?” the Doctor asked and took the watch from him, trying to listen telepathically for any signs of a hidden consciousness. “It's said that if it's opened...”

 

He pressed the button on the watch, expecting that he might suddenly see a golden light and solve this riddle once and for all, but as the watch popped open, several springs and gears fell out onto the floor.

 

“Oh. Maybe not,” the Doctor said dejectedly.

 

“It was more for decoration,” the new Doctor admitted.

 

“Yeah, anyway, alien infiltration,” the Doctor said, pushing himself to get back on track with the more dangerous situation.

 

“Yes. Just look for anything different. Possibly metal. Anything that doesn't seem to belong. Perhaps a mechanical device that could fit no earthly engine,” the new Doctor advised.

 

The Doctor took advantage of the other man's distraction to surreptitiously scan the room with his sonic for anything that didn't belong on Earth in this time period.

 

“It could even seem to be organic, but unlike any organism of the natural world,” the new Doctor continued. “SHUSH! What's that noise?” he asked suddenly.

 

The Doctor quickly put his sonic away and looked at the new Doctor innocently. “Oh, it's just me, whistling,” he said as he whistled in an attempt to mimic the sound of his tool. “I wonder what's in here though?” he asked as he opened the roll top on the desk that had given him unusual readings. Inside, he found two large metal cylinders that he recognized immediately as being Cyberman technology.

 

“Ah. Different and metal, you were right. They are infostamps. I mean, at a guess. If I were you, I'd say they worked something like this,” the Doctor told the other man as he pressed on the end of the infostamp and images were projected onto the wall.

 

“See? Compressed information, tons of it. That is... the history of London, 1066 to the present day,” he mused aloud as he analyzed what was being displayed. He didn't notice the other man becoming disoriented and sitting down, seemingly with a headache. 

 

“This is like a disc, a Cyberdisc. But why would the Cybermen need something so simple? They've got to be wireless. Unless, they're in the wrong century. They haven't got much power. They need plain old basic infostamps to update themselves. Are you alright?” the Doctor asked the new Doctor suddenly, when he realized the other man seemed to be having some difficulty.

 

“I'm fine,” the man said dismissively.

 

“No, what is it? What's wrong?” the Doctor insisted. Something about the infostamp might have triggered a memory, maybe?

 

“I've seen one of these before. I was holding... this device the night I lost my mind. The night I regenerated. The Cybermen, they made me change. My mind, my face, my whole self. And you were there. Who are you?” the new Doctor said in confusion as he grasped the Doctor's familiar face with his hand.

 

“A friend. I swear,” the Doctor told him earnestly as ideas flew through his mind. If he was holding an infostamp that contained information about the Doctor, it would explain how he knew so much and yet not enough. But an infostamp wouldn't overwrite his mind, so there was still something not quite fitting in.

 

“Then, I beg you, John. Help me,” the new Doctor said sadly.

 

“Ah. Two words I never refuse. But it's not a conversation for a dead man's house. It'll make more sense if we go back to the TARDIS. Your TARDIS. Hold on. I just need to do a little final check. Won't take a tick. There's one more thing I cannot figure out. If this room's got infostamps, then maybe, just maybe, it's got something that needs infostamping,” the Doctor babbled as he began looking around the house once again.

 

Opening a door to perhaps a closet or another room, he found a Cyberman.

 

“Ok,” he said with a calming breath. He closed the door again and said to the other man, “I think we should run.”

 

 


	8. The Next Doctor: Part Two

Chapter Eight - The Next Doctor: Part Two

 

“I think we should run,” the Doctor advised as he closed the door and ran back towards the new Doctor. The Cyberman broke down the door just as he grabbed the other man's jacket to pull him out of his musings. “Run, Doctor! Now, Doctor!”

 

Behind them, they heard the disturbing monotone of the Cyberman saying, “Delete.”

 

Running through the house, they were headed off by a second Cyberman which ominously announced, “The Doctor will be deleted.”

 

The first Cyberman broke through the door that the Doctor had sonicked shut and again they heard, “Delete.”

 

“Stairs! Can't lead them outside!” the Doctor shouted as he pushed the new Doctor up the staircase and stood between him and the Cybermen. Looking around frantically for something to use in defence, he grabbed what turned out to be an umbrella. He had certainly used one of those to defend himself before, but it probably wouldn't be very effective in this particular case.

 

Noticing a sword on the wall behind him, he grabbed that instead and turned to them wielding it threateningly. “I'm a dab hand with a cutlass,” he informed them as he swung it around. “You don't want to come near me when I've got one of these. This is your last warning,” he said as he backed up the stairs and the Cybermen continued to advance towards the Doctors, ignoring the ridiculous threat.

 

“No? Ok, this is really your last warning!” he shouted and still they advanced up the stairs. “Ok, I give up.”

 

The two men ran further up the stairs in retreat. As the Doctor parried their attacks with the sword, he decided that he needed the Cybermen to focus on him instead of the confused man behind him and set about trying to correct their records. “Listen to me properly. Whatever you're doing stuck in 1851, I can help! I mean it. I'm the only person in the world who can help you! Listen to me!”

 

“Delete,” they replied in unison and he parried a strike, yet again.

 

“I'm the Doctor. You need me. Check your memory banks. My name's the Doctor. Leave this man alone. The Doctor is me!” he shouted finally and, with a foot on the lead Cyberman's chest, pushed them both backward down the stairs.

 

They recovered quickly and resumed their attack while still chanting their mantra of, “Delete.”

 

“The Doctor, remember? I'm the Doctor! You need me alive. You need the Doctor, and that's me!” he continued ranting at the Cybermen as he fought them off with the sword rather ineffectively. 

 

The menacing enemies knocked the Doctor to the floor and he could feel Rose's worry for him spike through their bond; she must have felt his panic. He was shocked, when suddenly a bright blue beam of energy came from behind him and struck each of the Cybermen in turn until both of their heads exploded. He looked at the new Doctor with glee and laughed at their good fortune.

 

“Infostamp with a Cyclo-Steinham core. You ripped open the core and broke the safety. Zap! Only the Doctor would think of that!” he praised as he realized what the other man had done.

 

“I did that... last time,” the new Doctor said softly as he leaned against the wall for support, obviously drained from the exertion. 

 

Worried about the man's health (mental and physical), he reassured him, “Come here. You'll be ok.” When the man didn't move, but looked at him slightly accusingly, he added, “Let me just check.” And pulled out his stethoscope. This would allow him to not only check on the man's health, but to see if he had two hearts or not. As he suspected, he was met by the somewhat unsteady rhythm of a single heart; the man seemed to be human.

 

“You told them you were the Doctor. Why did you do that?” the ill-looking man asked angrily, still weakened from the exertion of the attack.

 

“Oh, I was just protecting you,” the Doctor lied.

 

“You're trying to take away the only thing I've got, like they did. They stole something. Something so precious, but I can't remember. What happened to me? What did they do?” the new Doctor said desperately.

 

“We'll find out. You and me, together,” the Doctor promised him, holding out his hand to help the other man to his feet.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Rose hid herself in the graveyard, behind a large memorial. The service was all rather boring really, until she saw a woman wearing a large, bright red dress and carrying a red umbrella march her way confidently into the middle of the proceedings.

 

The inappropriately dressed woman was too far away and they were speaking much too softly for Rose to hear what any of them were saying, but it was apparent that all of the men at the funeral were unhappy with her presence. The woman in red pushed her way through the crowd of mourners as she spoke to them with a menacing smirk plastered on her face.

 

Suddenly, Rose heard an all too familiar sound. The sound of metal feet marching in unison as they approached. From all angles, a dozen or so Cybermen surrounded the group of mourners and Rose ran from the area before she and Jamie were seen. Behind her, she could hear the men shouting or crying out as they were killed. She knew from first hand experience what was happening and regretted their deaths, but she did not stop running.

 

She knew that she needed more information about why the mystery woman was there and what else was going on, but she couldn't risk Jamie. Rose could feel a surge of panic from her husband and her worry only increased. What if the Cybermen were launching a full scale invasion right now?

 

Rose saw an empty alcove between buildings and threw herself into it as she huddled with Jamie drawn close to her chest. She spent several minutes just focused on breathing and listening for any more Cybermen. She calmed slightly when she felt the Doctor was no longer in danger and was a little surprised when she felt Jamie's mind trying to calm her as well.

 

“ _I'm alright, love. Did something happen to you two? You seem upset,”_ the Doctor thought to her reassuringly.

 

“ _We're fine, but there was a Cyberman attack on the men at the funeral. I ran before I could find out anything more. I was so worried about them catching Jamie. I'm sorry,”_ she thought back to him.

 

“ _Don't you dare be sorry. I don't want you to get into any trouble. I thought it would be a simple reconnaissance mission. Meet us at the stables, about two blocks South of where we parked the TARDIS,”_ he replied.

 

“ _Alright, we're coming. I love you, Doctor,”_ she thought.

 

“ _I love you too, Rose. You and Jamie. See you soon,”_ he answered with a mental caress that eased her remaining frazzled nerves.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

“Doctor!” Rosita shouted as she ran to hug the other Doctor. “I thought you were dead!”

 

“Now then, Rosita. A little decorum,” he told her with a smile.

 

“You've been gone for so long. He's always doing this, leaving me behind. Going frantic,” Rosita complained.

 

“What about the TARDIS?” the new Doctor inquired.

 

“Oh, she's ready. Come on,” she said as she led them into the stables.

 

“I'm looking forward to this,” the Doctor said to himself as he noticed Rose approaching with Jamie.

 

He took Jamie from her and gave her a loving kiss before they both entered the stables after the other two. The new Doctor was washing his hands and face as he relayed what happened at the house to Rosita.

 

“You were right, though, Rosita. The Reverend Fairchild's death was the work of the Cybermen,” he called to her.

 

“So, you live here?” the Doctor asked the other man.

 

“A temporary base, until we rout the enemy. The TARDIS is magnificent, but it's hardly a home,” the next Doctor said.

 

“Since when?” Rose asked under her breath. The Doctor heard her, of course, and grinned in reply.

 

“And where's the TARDIS now?” the Doctor inquired. He knew it wasn't his brilliant time and space ship, but the man had something he was calling a TARDIS.

 

“In the yard,” the man said quickly.

 

“What's all this luggage?” Rose asked as the Doctor surreptitiously scanned the cases with his sonic.

 

“Evidence. The property of Jackson Lake, the first man to be murdered. Oh, but my new friend is a fighter, Rosita. Much like myself. He faced the Cybermen with a cutlass. I'm not ashamed to say, he was braver than I. He was quite brilliant,” the new Doctor explained.

 

The sound of the sonic caught the new Doctor's attention once more and he asked, “Are you whistling again?”

 

Rose had been blocking the view of the sonic, but the sound was quite distinctive. He tucked his screwdriver back into his jacket and said, “Yes. Yes, I am, yeah. Jamie loves it when I whistle. Don't you Jamie?” Jamie gurgled at him and laughed from where he sat in his mother's lap.

 

The Doctor proceeded to pull one of the suitcases off of the pile.

 

“That's another man's property,” Rosita protested.

 

“Well, a dead man's,” the Doctor replied as he opened the case.

 

“He did say it was evidence. What good is evidence if you don't examine it?” Rose asked as she bounced Jamie on her knee, watching her husband investigate.

 

“How did you two meet, then?” the Doctor asked Rosita.

 

“He saved my life. Late one night, by the Osterman's Wharf, this creature came out of the shadows. A man made of metal. I thought I was going to die. And then, there he was. The Doctor,” Rosita told them smiling, lost in memory.

 

“Sounds familiar,” Rose reminisced with a soft smile. If you replaced the metal for plastic, that would be the tale of how she met her Doctor. He met her eyes and returned her smile with one of his own.

 

“Can you help him, sir? He has such terrible dreams. Wakes at night in such a state of terror,” Rosita pleaded with the Doctor.

 

“Come now, Rosita. With all the things a Time Lord has seen, everything he's lost, he may surely have bad dreams,” the new Doctor said sadly.

 

The Doctor paused for a moment to consider all his own nightmares. Rose's presence helped to keep them at bay, but sometimes even the joy of her couldn't keep the demons away. He was thankful that he didn't need to sleep as often as humans. Shaking off those thoughts, he continued to search through the suitcase to find what his sonic had detected.

 

“Oh, now. Look. Jackson Lake had an infostamp,” the Doctor told them as he held up the metal cylinder he had discovered.

 

“But how? Is that significant?” the new Doctor asked.

 

“Doctor, the answer to all this is in your TARDIS. Can I see it?” the Doctor requested as he drew together the final pieces to the puzzle, figuring out who this man really was.

 

“Mr. Tyler, it would be my honour,” he said with a bright smile and led them outside. “There she is. My transport through time and space. The TARDIS.”

 

Above their heads floated a large hot-air balloon. It was beautiful. The main body of the balloon was bright blue, but it had decorative painting on several panels. Jamie pointed up at the balloon and cooed in pleasure.

 

“You've got a balloon,” the Doctor observed, not quite sure what to make of this particular development.

 

“TARDIS. T-A-R-D-I-S. It stands for Tethered Aerial Release Developed In Style. Do you see?” the new Doctor explained proudly.

 

“Well, I do now. I like it. Good TARDIS. Brilliant. Nice one. And it's inflated by gas, yeah?” the Doctor said, tripping over his words as he tugged on his ear and tried to absorb the information in front of him.

 

“We're adjacent to the Mutton Street Gasworks. I pay them a modest fee,” he acknowledged and patted the man beside him on the shoulder. “Good work, Jed,” he said to the man and gave him some money.

 

“Glad to be of service, sir,” Jed replied.

 

“You've got quite a bit of money,” the Doctor noted.

 

“That's certainly a switch,” Rose commented under her breath.

 

“Oh, you get nothing for nothing. How's that ripped panel, Jed?” the new Doctor asked.

 

“All repaired. Should work a treat. You never know, maybe tonight's the night, Doctor. Imagine it, seeing Christmas from above,” Jed mused.

 

Rose knew the look on her husband's face. He had figured out this puzzle. They still had to deal with the Cyberman threat, but he knew who this other man was now. And she could tell from his expression that it wasn't a happy story.

 

“Not just yet, I think,” the new Doctor replied. “One day, I will ascend. One day soon.”

 

Jed departed then, happy to have been paid and dismissed for the time being.

 

“You've never actually been up?” the Doctor deduced.

 

“He dreams of leaving, but never does,” Rosita told him.

 

“I can depart in the TARDIS once London is safe. And finally, when I'm up there... Think of it, John. The time and the space,” the man said with a dreamy look in his eyes.

 

“The perfect escape. Do you ever wonder what you're escaping from?” the Doctor asked him.

 

“With every moment,” he replied.

 

“Then do you want me to tell you? Because I think I've worked it out now. How you became the Doctor. What do you think? Do you want to know?” the Doctor asked him with a look of sorrow that made even the man who had been so desperate to find out, question whether it would be worth it.

 

They moved back inside, where they could all sit comfortably and Rose set Jamie down on the floor to play with some toy his father had in his pocket. The Doctor squeezed Rose's shoulder, knowing that the history of these particular Cybermen was part of their own painful story.

 

“The story begins with the Cybermen. A long time away, and not so far from here, the Cybermen were fought, and they were beaten. Precious things were lost that day as well,” he added with a sad look at his wife. With a deep breath, he continued, “And they were sent into a howling wilderness called the Void. Locked inside forever more. But then a greater battle rose up, so great that everything inside the Void perished. But, as the walls of the world weakened, the last of the Cybermen must have fallen through the dimensions. Back in time, to land here. And they found you.”

 

“I fought them, I know that. But what happened?” the man asked.

 

“At the same time, another man came to London. Mr Jackson Lake. Plenty of luggage, money in his pocket. Maybe coming to town for the winter season, I don't know. But he found the Cybermen too. And just like you, exactly like you, he took hold of an infostamp,” the Doctor explained.

 

“But he's dead. Jackson Lake is dead. The Cybermen murdered him,” the man argued.

 

“You said no body was ever found. And you kept all his suitcases, but you could never bring yourself to open them. I told you the answer was in the fob watch. Can I see?” the Doctor asked as he reached out his hand.

 

The man hesitantly took the watch from his pocket and placed it into the Doctor's hand. He turned the watch over, so that everyone could see it; the initials J.L. were engraved into its surface.

 

“J.L. The watch is Jackson Lake's,” the Doctor concluded.

 

“Jackson Lake is you, sir?” Rosita asked as she realized the implications.

 

“But I'm the Doctor,” the man insisted.

 

“You became the Doctor, because the infostamp you picked up was a book about one particular man,” the Doctor said as he projected the contents of the infostamp as images onto the nearby wall. “The Cybermen's database. Stolen from the Daleks inside the Void, I'd say, but it's everything you could want to know about the Doctor.”

 

As he finished his explanation, the photos displayed showed his current incarnation and from the floor, Jamie shouted, “Daddy!”

 

Rose and the Doctor's eyes went wide and smiles spread across their faces. The Doctor picked up his son and spun him around happily.

 

“That was you,” Jackson said confusedly.

 

“Yeah,” Rose said, taking over the explanation as her husband revelled in being their son's first word. “He's a Time Lord, an enemy of the Cybermen. We live in the TARDIS, it's our home. The infostamp must have somehow beamed all that information straight into your head.”

 

“I am nothing but a lie,” Jackson admitted sadly.

 

“No, no, no, no, no. Infostamps are just facts and figures,” the Doctor protested as he carried the giggling Jamie back over to the discussion. “All that bravery; saving Rosita, defending London town, hmm? And the invention! Building a TARDIS, that's all _you!_ ”

 

“And what else? Tell me what else,” Jackson insisted, knowing that there had to be more to this story and the Doctor seemed to know what it was that was lost.

 

“There's still something missing, isn't there?” the Doctor asked knowingly.

 

“I demand you tell me, sir. Tell me what they took,” he pushed.

 

“Sorry. Really, I am so sorry... but that's an awful lot of luggage for one man,” the Doctor said compassionately and Jackson closed his eyes painfully as he began to remember something. The Doctor continued to explain, “Because an infostamp is plain technology. It's not enough to make a man lose his mind. What you suffered is called a fugue. A fugue state, where the mind just runs away because it can't bear to look back. You wanted to become someone else, because Jackson lake had lost so much.”

 

Everyone was silent out of respect for the man who was now on the verge of remembrance. Even Jamie could tell that voices were not welcome for the moment. The stillness was broken by the sound of bells outside, tolling the hour.

 

“Midnight. Christmas Day,” Rosita commented.

 

Jackson whispered as things slipped back to him, “I remember. Oh, my god! Caroline. They killed my wife.” The tears started and were unlikely to stop as he cried, “They killed her.”

 

Rose moved next to Jackson and rubbed his back in sympathy. Rosita did the same for him on the other side. The Doctor looked on, sadly. He knew the pain of losing his wife all too well, only he had been lucky enough to get her back again. Jackson wouldn't be so lucky, Caroline was well and truly dead, not just lost as Rose had been.

 

The infostamp in the Doctor's hand suddenly started beeping and shortly afterward, they could hear more beeps coming from the luggage behind them. The Doctor ran to the trunk that seemed to be emitting the sound and opened it to find a pile of infostamps with blinking lights.

 

“Oh, you found a whole cache of infostamps,” the Doctor gasped as he pulled out a whole string of them.

 

“But what's that noise, Doctor?” Rose asked him as she left Jackson in the care of his friend.

 

“Activation. A call to arms. The Cybermen are moving!” he shouted as he ran out the door to see what was happening.

 

Rose quickly picked up Jamie and slipped him back into his sling so that she could run. This was her life, and she loved it. “Come on, sweetheart. Daddy's going to need our help,” she said to her son and ran after the Doctor, leaving Rosita and Jackson to mourn.

 

The Doctor was watching as a large group of children were being marched past, led by a very stoic looking man. It being midnight, the children looked tired and confused by their forced walk through the town.

 

“Doctor, he was one of the men at the funeral during the attack,” Rose told her husband quietly.

 

Rosita was suddenly beside them and explained, “That's Mr Cole, he's Master of the Hazel Street Workhouse. Is he taking them to prayers?”

 

“Oh, nothing as holy as that,” the Doctor replied and ran to catch up with the man. “Can you hear me? Hello? No? Mr Cole, you seem to have something in your ear. Now, this might hurt a bit, but if I can just...”

 

The Doctor was cut off from acting against the control over Mr Cole, by a growling Cyber-creature nearby. “Ah, they're on guard,” he cursed. “Can't risk a fight. Not with the children.”

 

“But where are they going?” Rosita asked.

 

“Looks like the ear pods from Pete's World,” Rose said worriedly.

 

Jed approached them as they all watched the children continue down the road and said, “They all need a good whipping, if you ask me. There's tons of them. I've just seen another lot coming down from the Ingleby Workhouse down on Broadback Lane.”

 

“A whipping? For being forced to walk the freezing streets in the middle of the night?!” Rose shouted at the man incredulously. And he gave her a non-committal shrug.

 

“Where's that?” the Doctor asked Rosita while giving Jed a chastising glare.

 

“This way,” Rosita replied as she led the Doctor and Rose towards Broadback Lane.

 

They followed the second group of children as they were led to a large set of double doors. There were Cybermen supervising as they were ushered inside.

 

“That's the door to the sluice. All the sewage runs through there, straight into the Thames,” Rosita told them.

 

“Why would they want the children in there?” Rose wondered.

 

“I dunno, but that's too well guarded. We'll have to find another way in,” the Doctor said as he led them towards the other side. Before they could get around the corner, however, they were stopped by two Cybermen.

 

“Whoa! That's cheating, sneaking up. Do you have your legs on silent?” the Doctor complained to the uncaring metal men.

 

“Doctor, those look exactly like the one's from Pete's World,” Rose said, noticing the C branding from Cybus Industries, as she hugged Jamie closer to her.

 

“Yeah, they fell through from the Void, remember,” he stated as he positioned himself in front of his wife and child.

 

The woman that Rose recognized from the funeral earlier stepped out in front of the Cybermen. The Doctor watched her in fear of her safety, being so close to the evil creatures behind her.

 

“So, what do we have here?” the woman asked haughtily.

 

“Listen. Just walk towards me, slowly. Don't let them touch you,” the Doctor told her, gesturing for her to move to a safer location.

 

“Oh, but they wouldn't hurt me, my fine boys. They are my knights in shining armour, quite literally,” she replied with a smirk, patting one of them on the shoulder.

 

“Even if they've converted you, that's not a Cyber speech pattern. You've still got free will. I'm telling you, step away,” the Doctor insisted.

 

“She was the one leading them at the funeral, she's part of it,” Rose told him quietly.

 

“There's been no conversion, sir. No one's ever been able to change my mind. The Cybermen offered me the one thing I wanted. Liberation,” the woman in red stated with a smile.

 

“Yeah, that's what you think. They always promise something. A longer life, freedom from pain, but it's all lies,” Rose told her.

 

“And who do you think you are with such intimate knowledge of my companions?” the woman inquired.

 

“I'm the Doctor,” he stated, trying to draw the attention away from Rose.

 

“Incorrect. You do not correspond to our image of the Doctor,” one of the Cybermen argued.

 

“Yeah, but that's because your database got corrupted. Oh, look, look, look,” he replied as he pulled the infostamp from his pocket that contained the information about him. “Check this. The Doctor's infostamp,” he added as he tossed it towards the Cyberman.

 

The figure caught it easily and began to analyze it.

 

“Plug it in. Go on. _Download,_ ” the Doctor encouraged.

 

“The core has been damaged. This infostamp would damage Cyberunits,” the Cyberman responded.

 

“It was a nice try, love,” Rose commented.

 

After some beeps and flashing of lights, the Cyberman stated, “Core repaired. Download.”

 

The branded circle on its chest opened to reveal a port that would accept the infostamp and it plugged the cylinder in to assimilate the information. Images of this incarnation flashed over the Cyberman's eyes before it removed the infostamp again and acknowledged, “You are the Doctor.”

 

“Hello,” he replied with a small wave.

 

Turning towards Rose then, the Cyberman added, “You are designated the Abomination.”

 

“Oi, that's not very nice,” Rose argued and shifted Jamie's sling so that he was on her hip rather than right in front of her. Her stance shifted to offensive as the situation escalated. With Cybermen threatening to take over the world, the safest place to be was next to her husband.

 

“You will be deleted,” the Cyberman announced.

 

“No, no. Oh, but let us die happy. Tell me, what do you need those children for?” the Doctor asked in his usual bid to buy time and information from his enemies.

 

“What are children ever needed for? They're a workforce,” the woman sneered as she looked down her nose at the baby in Rose's arms.

 

“But for what?” the Doctor inquired.

 

“Very soon now, the whole Empire will see. And they will bow down in worship,” she stated as if they had already won.

 

“And it's all been timed for Christmas Day. Was that your idea, Miss... ?” the Doctor questioned.

 

“Hartigan. Yes, the perfect day for a birth, with a new message for the people. Only this time, it won't be the words of a man,” Miss Hartigan replied.

 

“You really do have some issues with men, don't you?” Rose observed.

 

“The birth of what?” the Doctor asked, trying to draw the conversation back to the facts he was trying to obtain so he could stop their plan.

 

“A birth and a death. Namely, yours. Thank you, Doctor. I'm glad to have been a part of your very last conversation. Now, delete them,” Miss Hartigan ordered the Cybermen beside her.

 

The Cybermen stepped forward to attack with their usual mantra of, “Delete.” But before they could reach the small group, there was a familiar sound and the Cybermen lit up with sparks flying. In another doorway, Jackson Lake was standing with a string of infostamps draped around his shoulder like a bandolier of grenades.

 

“At your service, Doctor,” he stated once both Cybermen were deactivated on the ground.

 

Miss Hartigan began shouting, “Shades! Shades!”

 

“Run! Come on!” the Doctor said firmly as he guided Rose, Jackson and Rosita through the passageway Jackson had come through.

 

Once they were clear of the threat, they stopped to catch their breath and make a plan.

 

“That stronghold down by the river, I need to find a way in,” the Doctor said to Jackson.

 

“I'm ahead of you. My wife and I were moving to London so I could take up a post at the University. And while my memory is still not intact, this was in the luggage. The deeds. Fifteen Latimer Street. And if I discovered Cybermen there, in the cellar, then...” Jackson told the Doctor as he held out a bundle of papers.

 

“That might be our way in! Brilliant!” the Doctor completed the thought.

 

“There's still more. I remember the cellar and my wife, but I swear there was something else in that room. If we can find that, perhaps that's the key to defeating these invaders. So, onwards!” Jackson added and led them towards the address.

 

“Maybe you should go back...” the Doctor began saying to Rosita.

 

“Don't start, Doctor. I've heard enough women versus men stuff today from that Hartigan woman, don't you justify her desire for women's lib,” Rose argued as she took Rosita's arm and followed Jackson, leaving the Doctor sputtering behind them.

 

In the cellar of Jackson's home, they came upon another Cyberman standing guard, but it was quickly deactivated by one of the infostamps. In the centre of the room, sat a complex device, covered in familiar hemispheres and coils of wire. The Doctor ran to investigate the machine.

 

“It must've been guarding this. A Dimension Vault. Stolen from the Daleks again. That's how the Cybermen travelled through time. Jackson, is this it? The thing you couldn't remember?” the Doctor chattered as he analyzed the readings on the Dimension Vault.

 

“I don't think so. I just can't see. It's like it's hidden,” Jackson lamented.

 

“It's alright, we'll figure it out,” Rose assured him.

 

“Not enough power. Come on!” the Doctor shouted as he headed towards a passageway from the cellar.

 

“Allons-y!” Jamie added playfully.

 

“That's my boy!” the Doctor giggled gleefully and Rose groaned, knowing that their son would likely never be silent again.

 

As the team of four adults and one baby, made their way through the sewers towards the Cybermen's operations, Rosita asked, “What do the Cybermen want?”

 

“They want us,” Rose replied sadly. She had seen it happen too many times now.

 

“That's what the Cybermen are. Human beings with their brains put into metal shells. They want every living thing to be like them,” her husband added as they continued through the tunnels.

 

When they arrived at the entrance to a large warehouse, they saw dozens of children, working as slaves under the supervision of several Cybermen.

 

“Oh my god!” Rose whispered and hugged her son tighter.

 

“Upon my soul,” Jackson agreed.

 

“What is it?” came the question from Rosita.

 

“It's an engine,” the Doctor replied. “They're generating electricity, but what for?”

 

“We can set them free,” Jackson said as he began to move towards the activity.

 

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no,” the Doctor instructed as he pulled the man back. He stealthily led the group back through the tunnels towards the control panels behind the engines and out of sight from the supervising guards.

 

The Doctor put on his brainy specs as he read the information on the small screen on the wall. “Power at ninety percent. But if we stop the engine, the power dies down, the Cybermen'll come running,” he explained.

 

At that moment, the screen flickered and seemed to change its function. Banging on the side of it in an attempt to get it to settle into whatever new configuration it was aiming toward, the Doctor said, “Oooh, hold on. Power fluctuation, that's not meant to happen.”

 

“It's going wrong?” Jackson asked hopefully.

 

“No, it's weird. The software's rewriting itself, it's changing,” the Doctor replied.

 

“But changing into what?” Rose wondered ominously.

 

The control panel began to spark and explode. The Doctor pushed the others behind him as he backed away from the unit, shouting, “Woah! What the hell's happening? It's out of control!”

 

“It's accelerating, Doctor! Up to ninety-seven percent already,” Rose cried.

 

“When it reaches a hundred, what about the children?” Rosita asked.

 

“They're disposable. Come on!” the Doctor replied as he led them back towards the enslaved children.

 

They ran into the warehouse just as the Cybermen began to take on an offensive position and announced, “Delete.”

 

Jackson and Rosita both used infostamps to shut down the Cybermen as Rose and the Doctor urged the children to run for their lives. Rosita led the children out to safety as Rose continued to usher them along to follow her. Jackson visually searched the upper levels to call the rest of the children down and away. At the same time, the Doctor accessed another control panel to try and determine what the engine was meant to provide electricity for.

 

Rose noticed that Jackson had frozen in place and was staring at one little boy on a high platform. The boy seemed to be in shock of everything happening around him and looked back at Jackson with tears welling in his eyes.

 

“That's my son. _My son._ Doctor, my son!” Jackson called suddenly.

 

“ _What?!_ ” Rose and the Doctor asked simultaneously as Rose ran to his side.

 

“They took my son. No wonder my mind escaped. Those damned Cybermen, they took my child! But he's alive, Doctor. Frederick!” Jackson shouted in desperation.

 

“Come on!” the Doctor shouted up to the young man.

 

“He's too scared to move,” Rose observed.

 

“Stay there! Don't move! I'm coming,” Jackson called up to him and began to head for the staircase, but was thrown backwards as an explosion blew the stairs to pieces. “I can't get up there. Fred!”

 

“They've finished with the motor. It's going to blow up,” the Doctor stated.

 

“What are we going to do, Doctor? What are we going to do?” Jackson pleaded for a solution.

 

The Doctor suddenly pulled out the sword he had used earlier to fight off the Cybermen at the Reverend's house. It must have been hidden inside one of his trans-dimensional pockets. “Come on, Jackson. You know me,” he told him confidently as he grabbed hold of a rope.

 

“Be careful, Doctor!” Rose shouted and he winked at her confidently.

 

Cutting the rope to release where it was attached, the weight on the other end of it pulled the Doctor up towards the ceiling. He landed gracefully on the platform near Frederick and released the rope.

 

“Oh, that's it. Hello. Now, hold on tight. Don't let go,” the Doctor told the boy as he helped him up onto his shoulders. Grasping another rope tightly, the Doctor swung them both back down to the floor and brought Fred safely into his father's arms. “Merry Christmas,” he said with a smile.

 

“It's not over yet!” Rose shouted as all around them, machinery began to explode.

 

They fled the fires back through the passageways to Jackson's cellar, where the Doctor paused just long enough to remove a component from the Dimension Vault. Rose urged him to hurry and knowing that this device had to be a part of his plan to stop the Cybermen.

 

When they stepped out into the street, they saw a huge, gear and steam driven Cyberman rising up from beneath the Thames. Staring at it in fear, Jamie said, “Whoa!”

 

“You can say that again,” Rose mumbled.

 

“It's a Cyberking,” the Doctor told them in growing horror.

 

“And a Cyberking is what?” Jackson asked not yet understanding just how dangerous this was.

 

“It's a ship. Dreadnought class. Front line of an invasion. And inside the chest, a Cyberfactory, ready to convert millions,” the Doctor replied as his mind raced with possible solutions.

 

Above them, they could hear Miss Hartigan's voice, slightly Cyberized and loudly amplified, “Behold, I am risen. Witness me, mankind, as Cyberking of all. And I will walk. I will stride across this tiny little world.”

 

The Cyberking stepped out of the water and crushed the buildings beneath its feet. Citizens ran and screamed as the city fell around them. Hartigan was heard, asking, “My people. Why do they not rejoice?”

 

“Just head south. Take him south. Go to the parkland,” the Doctor instructed Jackson. Placing a hand on Rose's back, they turned to head in the opposite direction.

 

“But where are you going?!” Jackson asked.

 

“To stop that thing,” the Doctor replied, looking back.

 

“But I should be with you,” Jackson protested.

 

“Jackson, you've got your son. Protect him, he's your reason to live,” the Doctor told him.

 

“But what about yours? And your wife?” Jackson asked, looking at the man he thought he'd been for the past fourteen days.

 

“I am never allowing the Cybermen to separate my family again, do you understand, Jackson?” Rose said with absolute assurance.

 

Jackson nodded to the extraordinary woman in front of him and watched as the Doctor took her hand and they ran to save the world. Again.

 

The Cyberking continued to crash through the city as they raced back to the stables. Rose kept pace with her husband and didn't bother slowing them down by asking for him to detail his plan. He knew what he was doing and if he needed her, she knew he'd tell her exactly how she could help. When they reached their destination, he handed her the device he had removed from the Dimension Vault, and rummaged through the luggage for more infostamps.

 

Jed entered the room in a panic when he heard someone nearby and asked, “What the hell is going on, sir?”

 

“Oh! Good man, Jed, wasn't it? Jed, we need your help!” the Doctor called, glad that he would have some competent assistance in launching the balloon.

 

“I'm not going out there,” Jed told him in wide-eyed protest.

 

“I'll give you five pound notes,” the Doctor told him, knowing that seemed to be the man's motivation for helping Jackson before.

 

“Er... alright. What do you want me to do?” Jed asked reluctantly.

 

“The TARDIS is going to fly,” he informed the other man as he flung a string of infostamps over his shoulder and took Rose's hand once more.

 

They could hear the Cyberking firing energy weapons over the city as they prepared the balloon. The Doctor lifted Jamie into the basket before helping Rose in as well. He climbed in behind her and began to check the device he brought.

 

“You're flaming bonkers, sir,” Jed exclaimed as he untied the ropes that held the balloon to the ground.

 

“That's nothing new,” Rose quipped.

 

“Not enough power, yet. Come on, Jed! Let her loose,” the Doctor cried, ignoring the blatant insults.

 

“Ever flown one of these before?” Jed asked.

 

“Nope, never,” the Doctor replied, checking the few controls available to him in the vehicle.

 

“What? Really?” Rose asked as she got Jamie settled back in the baby sling, so he could see what was happening.

 

“Can I have my money now?” Jed asked worriedly.

 

“Oh, get on with it,” the Doctor chastised.

 

“Good luck to you, sir!” Jed called as he untied the last of the ropes.

 

The TARDIS balloon rose higher as the Doctor threw various weights out of the basket. Rose helped to toss things over the side and Jamie clapped and waved at the things as they fell. Once they reached a height equal to the head of the Cyberking, the machine turned to face them and the Doctor prepared by wrapping the length of infostamps around his arm.

 

“Excellent, the Doctor,” Miss Hartigan announced from her throne in the head of the Cyberking, her voice amplified and modulating similar to a Cyberman. “Yet another man come to assert himself against me in the night.”

 

“Miss Hartigan? I'm offering you a choice. You might have the most remarkable mind this world has ever seen. Strong enough to control the Cybermen themselves,” the Doctor shouted to her.

 

“I don't need you to sanction me,” she replied haughtily.

 

“No, but such a mind deserves to live. The Cybermen came to this world using a Dimension Vault. I can use that device to find you a home, with no people to convert, but a new world where you can live out your mechanical life in peace,” the Doctor continued.

 

“I have the world below, and it is abundant with so many minds ready to become extensions of me. Why would I leave this place?” the Cyberking asked.

 

“Because if you don't, I'll have to stop you,” the Doctor informed her. This was his way. He always gave his enemies a chance to back away before he was forced to protect the innocents.

 

“What do you make of me, sir? An idiot?” she asked incredulously.

 

“No. The question is, what do you make of me?” the Doctor responded and held up his arm, wrapped in a dozen infostamps and aimed in her direction.

 

“Destroy him,” she ordered.

 

“You make me into this,” the Doctor said sadly and activated all of the devices at once. The energy blasting from them struck the copper headpiece of Miss Hartigan and flared for a long time before all of the infostamps were emptied.

 

Miss Hartigan opened her eyes as the energy stopped, they were once again as clear as a normal human's where they had once been completely black. Her voice as she spoke again, sounded human once more, “Then I have made you a failure. Your weapons are useless, sir.”

 

“You think so?” Rose shouted from her position next to her husband.

 

“I wasn't trying to kill you. All I did was break the Cyber-connection, leaving your mind open. Open, I think, for the first time in far too many years. So you can see. Just look at yourself. Look at what you've done,” the Doctor told her and as she turned to see the Cybermen beside her and her arms strapped to the throne, she began to panic.

 

“I'm sorry, Miss Hartigan, but look at what you've become,” he added and wrapped his arm around Rose and Jamie as Miss Hartigan began to scream.

 

With her screams, sparks and bolts of electricity began to surge over the Cybermen and herself. The Cybermen and Miss Hartigan all exploded and the Doctor held his family just a bit tighter. The Cyberking began to sway and stumble dangerously and Rose gasped as she realized that it would fall and crush the city below.

 

“Doctor?” Rose asked nervously.

 

At that moment, the device from the Dimension Vault beeped rapidly. “Oooh, now you're ready,” the Doctor exclaimed as he aimed it at the malfunctioning machine.

 

Swirls of bright blue light encircled the Cyberking for several nerve wracking seconds before the whole thing disappeared and an eerie silence fell over the whole city, above and below.

 

“Bye-bye!” Jamie called from his mother's arms.

 

Rose and the Doctor smiled and held each other closer, with Jamie squished happily between them.

 

“What did it do, my love?” Rose asked.

 

“It send them into the Time Vortex. The energy will disintegrate the wreckage permanently,” he replied.

 

From beneath them, in the city, the Doctor and Rose could hear cheers and applause. Smiling at each other, the little family waved to the people below and the Doctor helped Jamie to ring the bell mounted on the frame of the balloon's basket.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Once they managed to figure out how to land the TARDIS balloon, Rose, Jamie and the Doctor were met by Jackson, Rosita and Frederick not far behind. He walked with them on their way back to their own TARDIS.

 

“The city will recover, as London always does. Though the events of today will be history. Spoken of for centuries to come,” Jackson said with some confidence.

 

“Yeah, funny that,” the Doctor said as he shared a look with his wife.

 

“And a new history begins for me. I find myself a widower, but with my son and with a good friend,” Jackson added, smiling at the woman holding his son's hand.

 

“Now, take care of that one. She's marvellous,” the Doctor complimented. Rosita blushed at the praise.

 

“Frederick will need a nursemaid and I can think of none better. But you're welcome to join us. We thought we might all dine together at the Traveller's Halt. A Christmas feast in celebration, and in memory of those we have lost. Would your family join us?” Jackson asked.

 

“Come on, Doctor,” Rose said as she nudged his side. He didn't usually stay for the events that happened after he saved the world, but sometimes, for Rose's sake, he would make an exception. In this case, perhaps for Jamie as well.

 

“Oh, alright. Let's get cleaned up a bit first, though, yeah?” the Doctor said as they reached the TARDIS doors.

 

“Oh! And this is it. Oh, if I might, Doctor? One last adventure?” Jackson requested.

 

“Oh, be my guest,” he said happily as he unlocked the doors and everyone entered.

 

Rose went straight through with Jamie to get them both cleaned up and changed for dinner. But Jackson paused just inside the doors as he attempted to evaluate his surroundings.

 

“Oh, my word. Oh... oh, goodness me. But this is... nonsense,” Jackson sputtered.

 

“Well... that's one word for it,” the Doctor responded with a smile.

 

“Complete and utter, wonderful nonsense. How very, very silly. Oh, no. I can't bear it. Oh, it's causing my head to ache,” he said as he backed out of the time ship once more to the relative safety of the London street.

 

“We shall meet you then for dinner, sir? You and your lovely family?” Jackson asked as he recovered his senses.

 

“Yes, certainly. I couldn't deny Rose anything. We'll be there,” the Doctor replied and went back into the TARDIS to tidy himself up a bit as well.

 

It wasn't quite the Christmas dinner that Rose was used to, but it was lovely all the same. Jamie babbled what sounded like nonsense to the Doctor most of the evening, but since he responded with something that sounded similar, Rose wondered if it might not be nonsense after all, but perhaps another language. She shrugged and just enjoyed the happy company.

 


	9. Planet of the Dead

Chapter Nine – Planet of the Dead

 

In the kitchen of Jackie and Peter Tyler's flat in Cardiff, there was a large group of people gathered around a very happy, two year old Jamie. Two Earth years old, well, approximately... probably. Jamie eyed the cake in front of him hungrily as he waited for everyone to finish singing Happy Birthday, so that he could blow out the candles and dive into the gooey frosting.

 

Most two year olds wouldn't be totally aware of the protocols of birthday cakes, but Jamie was far more intellectually advanced than a human of that age and his mother had made it perfectly clear what the rules were if he wanted to get cake. So he waited patiently and blew out the two candles, then sat quietly while his mother cut him a large corner slice.

 

“Thank you very much, mummy,” he said sweetly.

 

“You're very welcome, sweetheart. Happy Birthday,” Rose replied with a grin.

 

Jamie had his mother's smile, his father's freckles and his eyes, which had once been ice blue like his father's previous incarnation, had now turned to a darker blue with flecks of hazel in the light. He had thick, brown hair that was just as unruly as his father's tended to be and he was absolutely adorable.

 

“Aw, Roooose, I wanted the corner slice,” the Doctor whined.

 

“There are four corner slices, love. You can have the next one,” she replied with a giggle and he kissed her cheek. Jamie made a slightly disgusted face at that, but shrugged and continued stuffing the sugary mess into his mouth.

 

“Can Jamie stay with us for the night, Rose? I haven't seen him in ages. You've skipped ahead... It's only been a year for us since he was born and we're celebrating his second birthday now,” Jackie complained.

 

“Jackie, he's a Time Lord. Jamie is going to live for centuries. The longer we wait in his time line compared to yours, allows him to visit you later in his life. When he's older and doesn't appear to age compared to you anymore, he might skip decades just to be able to see you later,” the Doctor explained. Humans and human emotions could be so fragile. He knew Rose and Jamie would want as much time with Jackie and Pete as possible. 

 

“We know you want to watch him grow up, mum, but we're trying to balance things out, yeah?” Rose added.

 

“Alright, but can he still spend the night? You two could go off on a date or something without worrying about him for a change? That would be nice, wouldn't it?” Jackie negotiated pleadingly.

 

“Yes, mum, Jamie can spend the night. But I'm warning you, he doesn't sleep much and he gets into just as much trouble as his father when he's bored,” Rose acquiesced.

 

Jack approached the Doctor as he was reading something on his wrist strap. “I think I've got just the thing to keep you two happy for the evening. Unusual readings, Doc,” Jack said as he showed the Doctor what he's found.

 

“Rhondium particles? Hmm... should be able to throw together a portable detector for that and we can track down an anomaly,” the Doctor said with a grin. He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels happily.

 

“Sounds like a date to me!” Rose chuckled and shook her head at him fondly.

 

Jackie rolled her eyes and said, “I was thinking you'd go to see a picture or something, but I don't care, so long as I get to spend some time with my sweet little grandson.” Jackie pinched Jamie's cheek and he made a face at her, but didn't complain.

 

“You behave yourself, Jamie Tyler. We'll be back to pick you up tomorrow,” Rose said, giving him a hug and a kiss. The Doctor hugged and kissed him as well before the couple went back to the TARDIS, hand-in-hand.

 

“I'll just put together a device to track the anomaly, then set course for London. Let's see what kind of adventure we can find today, yeah?” the Doctor said as he threw the lever to put the TARDIS in the Vortex. They wouldn't have to worry about how long it took to make the detector while they were outside of time.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

They strolled down the London street, following a signal on the Doctor's little beeping device. Rose noticed a little shop was selling Easter chocolates and quickly moved to buy a bunny to munch on during their adventure.

 

“Ah, it's definitely this way, love. Let's take the bus,” the Doctor told Rose and they boarded the large, red vehicle. The Doctor swiped his psychic paper over the scanner.

 

“You're just in time, you two,” the driver said as they found a couple of seats, right in front of a woman with dark hair, dressed all in black and looking a little on edge.

 

Rose took another bite of her chocolate bunny and said to the woman, “Hello, I'm Rose and this is my husband. Happy Easter!”

 

“Funny thing is,” the Doctor started rambling, “I don't often do Easter. I can never find it. It's always at a different time. Although, I remember the original. Just between us, what really happened was...” 

 

He was cut off by the beeping of his scanner. Reaching into his pocket, the Doctor pulled out the device which was emitting a blue light and squealed loudly. He fiddled with the dials a bit and listened to it closely.

 

“Would you like a piece? It's a lot of chocolate for one person,” Rose asked as she offered the woman some of her chocolate. She noticed the woman kept glancing out the window behind the bus and seemed nervous about the amount of police cars in the area.

 

“Ah! Oh, we've got excitation. I'm picking up something very strange,” the Doctor said, talking to himself more than anyone else.

 

“What else is new, love,” Rose sighed. She noticed suddenly that there seemed to be a group of police cars following the bus with their lights flashing and decided that this woman was probably trying to avoid arrest for something.

 

“Rhondium particles, that's what I'm looking for. This thing detects them. Look, this should go round, that little dish there,” he explained obliviously as he flicked at the tiny dish on top of the machine.

 

“Right now, a way out would come in pretty handy. Can you detect me one of those?” the woman asked, seeming exasperated with his attempts at conversation.

 

“Not likely. We get _into_ trouble more than out, really,” Rose replied.

 

“Ah, the little dish is going round. Look, love, it's working!” the Doctor beamed as he showed Rose his machine.

 

“Brilliant,” she said with a wide grin.

 

“And round. Woah!” he exclaimed when the dish spun faster and the machine began to spark.

 

The woman in front of them complained when some sparks flew into her hair, “Excuse me. Do you mind?”

 

“Sorry, that was my little dish,” the Doctor apologized and stood up to hold his detector higher in the direction of the anomaly. 

 

“Can't you turn that thing off?” the woman in black asked him.

 

The Doctor quickly sat back down next to his wife and held her against him as he tightly grabbed a rail nearby to brace himself. “What was your name?” he asked the woman.

 

“Christina,” she answered shortly.

 

“Christina, hold on tight. Everyone, hold on!” he shouted in warning just before the whole bus 

was suddenly thrown every which way. Sparks flew from the lights and the windows shattered as everyone was tossed around the vehicle dangerously.

 

When the bus finally stopped shaking, everyone sat quietly for a moment and caught their breath. There was bright, golden light shining through the windows, which was a shock compared to the dark, drizzly weather they had just left behind in London.

 

“Are you alright, love?” the Doctor asked Rose softly as he ran his hands up and down her arms, checking for injuries.

 

“I'm fine, best see where we are then,” she replied and stood up from the spot on the floor where they had ended up huddled together.

 

They walked out the doors of the bus into what looked like a desert. Several of the other passengers followed them outside and everyone gaped at their surroundings.

 

“End of the line. Call it a hunch, but I think we've gone a little bit further than Brixton,” the Doctor announced to no one in particular.

 

“Any idea where we are?” Rose asked him.

 

“Not just yet,” he replied and started analyzing their surroundings. Three suns, desert as far as they could see in all directions, and he crouched down to check the composition of the sand.

 

One of the passengers, a woman with blonde hair, said, “It's impossible. There are three suns. Three of them.”

 

“Like when all those planets were up in the sky,” a young black man commented.

 

“But it was the Earth that moved back then, wasn't it?” another young man asked.

 

“Oh, man, we're on another world,” the black man replied in awe.

 

The bus driver was looking over the state of his vehicle as he said, “It's still intact, though. Not as bad as it looks. And the chassis's still holding together. My boss is going to murder me.”

 

“Can you still drive it?” the blonde woman asked him.

 

“Oh, no, no, no. The wheels are stuck. Look at them, they're never going to budge,” he replied.

 

Rose looked at the bus herself and wasn't sure she agreed with his level of optimism. The roof of the upper deck was smashed and the bus had buried itself in the sand as deep as the tires could go. It was unlikely that they could drive the vehicle back through the path they took to get... wherever they were.

 

Christina took some sunglasses from her bag and stated, “Ready for every emergency.” She stood near where the Doctor was digging through the sand and Rose thought she seemed to be standing rather... flirtatiously.

 

Rose moved next to her husband and held out her hand to him. He reached into his pocket without question and handed her a pair of sunglasses that she always had stored in his trans-dimensional pockets for all of their beach trips. “Me too,” she said with a possessive smirk.

 

The Doctor looked up at his wife and smiled. Taking off his brainy specs, he sonicked the lenses so that they were suddenly darkened and winked at her before he put them back on.

 

“She said her name was Rose, what's yours?” Christina asked.

 

“I'm the Doctor,” he replied.

 

“Name, not rank,” she argued.

 

“The Doctor.” 

 

“Surname?” she asked.

 

“The Doctor.”

 

“You're called... the Doctor?” she said incredulously.

 

“Yes, I am,” he stated as he rubbed some of the sand between his fingers.

 

“That's not a name. That's a psychological condition,” Christina snarked.

 

“Oi! That's my husband, thank you very much,” Rose retorted.

 

“So what are you THE Rose, then?” she replied and smirked at the glare she received from Rose.

 

“Funny sort of sand, this,” he said as he showed it to Rose more closely. “There's a trace of something else,” he added and put a bit of it on his tongue. He gagged a bit at the taste of it and made a disgusted face. “Not good.”

 

“Well, it wouldn't be. It's sand,” Christina stated, as if it were obvious.

 

“No, it tastes like... nevermind,” he said as he walked away from her and looked further off into the desert, taking Rose's hand and allowing their bracelets to clink together. Rose could feel then, that the woman was irritating him almost as much as her. The Doctor could tell that Rose felt slightly threatened by the woman's forward nature and deliberately sent his wife a wave of love and reassurance through their bond.

 

“ _Something we should be worried about?”_ Rose thought to him silently.

 

“ _Lots of things to be worried about, right now. I'm making a list,”_ he replied.

 

“What is it? What's wrong?” Christina called after him.

 

“Hold on a minute,” the young black man shouted as he pointed towards the Doctor and approached. “I saw you, mate. You had that thing, that machine. Did you make this happen?”

 

“Oh, humans on buses, always blaming me,” he muttered and Rose squeezed his hand supportively. “Look, look, if you must know, we were tracking a hole in the fabric of reality. Call it a hobby. But it was a tiny little hole. No danger to anyone. Suddenly it gets big, and we drive right through it,” he explained.

 

“But then, where is it? There's nothing. There's just sand,” the driver argued.

 

“Alright,” the Doctor replied as he released Rose's hand and marched to an area behind the bus. He picked up a handful of sand from the ground and turned to face the group again. “You want proof? We drove through this,” he told them as he threw the sand into the air and a large, wavy distortion appeared in front of him.

 

“And that's...?” Christina asked.

 

“A door. A door in space,” the Doctor replied.

 

“What? No inter-spatial hyperlink mumbo-jumbo for these guys?” Rose teased and he smirked at her slightly.

 

“So, what you're saying is, on the other side of that is home? We can get to London through there?” the driver asked excitedly.

 

“The bus came through, but we can't,” the Doctor replied. The man didn't seem to even hear him.

 

“Well then, what are we waiting for?” the driver shouted in excitement and ran towards the distortion.

 

“No, no don't!” the Doctor called after him in growing horror.

 

“I'm going home, mate!” the driver cried.

 

“I said don't!” he yelled, trying futilely to stop the man. A second later, the driver screamed as the distortion dissolved everything but his bones. The skeleton's momentum threw it forward another step before it fell, face down through the door in space and disappeared.

 

“He was a skeleton, man. He was bones. Just bones,” the young black man said, beginning to panic.

 

“It's alright, we'll figure out a way out of here, yeah? Just everyone calm down,” Rose said reassuringly to the man.

 

The Doctor strolled back towards the large, red vehicle that was currently half buried in the sand. “It was the bus. Look at the damage. That was the bus protecting us. Great big box of metal,” he said with his hands buried in his pockets.

 

“Rather like a Faraday cage?” Christina asked.

 

“Like in a thunderstorm, yeah? Safest place is inside a car, because the metal conducts the lightning right through? We did it in school,” the young man who had spoken about the Earth having moved before commented. He was currently holding the blonde woman who had been crying since the driver died.

 

“But, Doctor, is the bus intact enough for us to be able to take it back through?” Rose asked her husband.

 

“A Faraday cage needs to be closed. That thing's been ripped wide open,” Christina added.

 

“Well... slightly different dynamics with a wormhole. There's enough metal to make it work, I think... I hope,” the Doctor told them as he considered the calculations.

 

“Then we have to drive five tons of bus, which is currently buried in the sand, and we've got nothing but our bare hands. Correct?” Christina deduced.

 

“I'd say nine and a half tons, but the point still stands, yes,” the Doctor agreed.

 

“Then we need to apply ourselves to the problem with discipline. Which starts with appointing a leader,” Christina stated with authority.

 

“Yes. At last. Thank you. So...” the Doctor began but was quickly cut off.

 

“Well, thank goodness you've got me. Everyone do exactly as I say. Inside the buss immediately,” Christina ordered.

 

The Doctor and Rose looked at each other with raised eyebrows and smirked. They decided to play her game for now while they considered their options to save the day again.

 

“ _Should we contact home, love? I can hardly feel Jamie at all right now, do you think he'll get worried?”_ Rose thought to her husband as they followed the group back into the bus.

 

“ _We'll call in a bit. Let's see what kind of a plan we can make from here first. And when we do, let's talk to Jack or Pete. I'd rather deal with Torchwood helping us than your mother ranting over us getting into trouble again,”_ he replied.

 

“ _I'm with you on that one. Do you think Jack could help from Earth?”_ she wondered.

 

“ _Maybe, let me think on it,”_ he answered and they refocused on the conversations around them.

 

“... Point five. The crucial thing is, do not panic. Quite apart from anything else, the smell of sweat inside this thing is reaching atrocious levels. We don't need to add any more. Point six. Team identification. Names. I'm Christina. And apparently these two are Rose and the Doctor,” Christina announced to the group.

 

“Hi,” Rose said with a small wave.

 

“Hello,” said the Doctor.

 

“And you?” Christina asked the passengers in turn.

 

“Nathan,” said the light skinned young man.

 

“I'm Barclay,” the black young man followed.

 

“Angela. Angela Whittaker,” the blonde woman replied.

 

“My name's Louis. Everyone calls me Lou. And this is Carmen,” came from the older dark skinned couple at the back of the bus. They had not come outside earlier.

 

“Excellent. Memorize those names. There might be a test. Point seven. Assessment and application of knowledge. Over to you, the Doctor,” Christina concluded, almost mockingly.

 

“I thought you were in charge?” he challenged.

 

“I am. And a good leader utilizes her strengths. You seem to be the brainbox. So, start boxing,” she replied.

 

With a quick glance to his wife, the Doctor shrugged and took over. He was far more comfortable giving information than taking orders. “Right. So, the wormhole. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was just an accident,” he told them.

 

“No, it wasn't. That thing, the doorway? Someone made it for a reason,” Carmen interrupted.

 

“How do you know?” the Doctor asked, genuinely curious.

 

“She's got a gift. Ever since she was a little girl, she can just tell things. We do the lottery twice a week,” Lou said in defence of his wife.

 

“You don't look like millionaires,” Christina argued.

 

“No, but we win ten pounds. Every week, twice a week, ten pounds. Don't tell me that's not a gift,” Lou responded proudly.

 

“Tell me, Carmen. How many fingers am I holding up?” the Doctor asked, testing her. He held up 3 fingers behind his back.

 

“Three,” she replied. 

 

He added another and she immediately said, “Four.”

 

“Very good. Low level psychic ability, exacerbated by an alien sun. What can you see, Carmen? Tell me, what's out there?” the Doctor asked, using the talents available to him.

 

“Something, something is coming. Riding on the wind, and shining,” Carmen told them.

 

“What is it?” he asked her.

 

“Death,” she stated simply. “Death is coming.”

 

Everyone on the bus immediately started panicking, except Christina, who was arguing. The Doctor tried to get everyone to calm down without much luck until Rose whistled loudly. Everyone abruptly stopped and looked at the little blonde woman in shock.

 

“Alright. Now, everyone relax, yeah? My husband and I have dealt with far worse than this before. The planets in the sky? WE stopped all of that _and_ sent the Earth back where it belonged. So calm down and listen,” Rose told the group assertively. Nodding to her husband, he took over again with a small, appreciative smile. Angela was crying though.

 

“Angela, look at me,” he said and grasped her upper arms to get her attention. “Angela? Angela? Answer me one question, Angela. That's it. At me, at me. There we go. Angela, just answer me one thing. When you got on this bus, where were you going?”

 

“Doesn't matter now, does it?” she sobbed.

 

“Answer the question,” he insisted.

 

“Just home,” she said softly.

 

“And what's home?” he asked.

 

“Me and Mike and Suzanne. That's my daughter. She's eighteen,” she explained.

 

“Suzanne. Good. What about you?” the Doctor asked Barclay.

 

“Don't know. Going round Tina's,” the young man replied.

 

“Who's Tina? Your girlfriend?” the Doctor asked.

 

“Not yet,” Barclay said with a smirk.

 

“Good boy. What about you, Nathan?” he continued, searching for everyone's biggest motivation to keep going.

 

“Bit strapped for cash. I lost my job last week. I was going to stay in and watch TV,” Nathan responded.

 

“Brilliant. And you two?” he asked the older couple.

 

“I was going to cook,” Lou replied.

 

“It's his turn tonight. Then I clear up,” Carmen added.

 

“What's for tea?” the Doctor pressed.

 

“Chops. Nice couple of chops and gravy. Nothing special,” Lou answered.

 

“Oh, that's special, Lou. That is so special. Chops and gravy, mmm. What about you, Christina?” the Doctor finally asked her.

 

“I was going... so far away,” she replied.

 

“Far away, chops and gravy, watching TV, Mike and Suzanne and poor old Tina,” the Doctor said, earning an offended shout from Barclay at his implications about Tina. “We've got a two year old son, back there as well and we're not leaving him yet. Just think of them. Because that planet out there, all three suns, wormholes and alien sand, that planet is nothing. You hear me? Nothing compared to all those things waiting for you. Food and home and people. Hold onto that, because we're going to get there. I promise. We're going to get you home.”

 

Rose took his hand lovingly and their bracelets clinked together again. Pulling her to him, the Doctor gave her a quick hug to bolster their confidence. He kept their fingers entwined as he led them all outside again to figure out what could be done.

 

The Doctor began instructing everyone as they tried to find a way to get the bus moving. Christina pulled a folding shovel and small axe out of her bag to help, making the Doctor slightly suspicious as to why she would have such tools with her on a London bus.

 

“Should I call Jack now, love?” Rose asked her husband.

 

“Yeah, probably a good idea. He has his vortex manipulator to get to London quickly, but he can't bring many people with him using that thing,” he replied.

 

“Wait a minute, how is your phone going to work here? There's no signal. We're on another planet!” Christina argued.

 

“Universal roaming,” Rose replied with a smirk and a wink while she listened to it ringing. “Jack! We have a bit of a problem.”

 

“Hello, sweetheart. You know I was just waiting for that,” his familiar baritone laughed on the other end of the line.

 

“So, there was this wormhole in London, and we, along with several other passengers of a bus drove through it. We are on an unknown desert planet, trinary star system, and without the protection of the bus, we can't get back through. Any ideas?” Rose asked as she relayed all of their current information.

 

“Well, we can bring some equipment with us to the wormhole on this side. We might be able to figure something out. Can I talk to your husband for a minute?” Jack requested.

 

Rose handed the phone to the Doctor. “Jack! Ok, bring whatever energy scanners you've got in your arsenal at Torchwood to check on that wormhole. I need to know energy readings. I'll try to figure out a way to get this bus back through, but we need to know how to close it once we're there,” the Doctor rambled into the phone.

 

“Not a problem. I've been monitoring the police reports ever since I saw where you were heading. They've got the whole area closed off already and UNIT is on site. I'll get over there and work with them. Call you guys back once we've got something,” Jack replied.

 

“Nice work, Jack! Talk to you soon,” he said as he shut the phone and flipped it in the air back to his wife.

 

“We have help working on the problem from the other side of the wormhole, but we need to figure out how to get that bus moving. So, keep on that engine and getting those tires free. Back in two ticks,” he said as he took Rose's hand and led her off into the desert.

 

“Wait a minute! You two are the ones with all the answers and a phone that works on another planet, I'm not letting you out of my sight!” Christina shouted as she followed them.

 

“Where are we going, Doctor?” Rose asked, ignoring their third wheel.

 

“Just getting the lay of the land,” he replied as they climbed over the next dune to see further into the distance. They stopped as Christina caught up with them.

 

“Come on then. Tell me, if Carmen's right, if that wormhole's not an accident, then what is it? Has someone done this on purpose?” Christina demanded to know.

 

“Possibly. Hard to say, but I have a feeling we need to get out of here,” Rose answered.

 

“And do you think we can?” Christina asked.

 

“Of course we can! Stuff of Legend, we are! Rose and I can do anything,” the Doctor replied confidently as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Rose had removed her jacket and stowed it in one of his pockets. She was down to a t-shirt, but was still sweating a lot. The Doctor on the other hand, was still wearing his full suit, as usual, though he had tossed his overcoat aside.

 

“That must be nice, being able to do anything. Name's Christina de Souza. To be precise, Lady Christina de Souza,” she informed them.

 

“Ooh, that's nice. I'm Dame Rose and that's Sir Doctor,” Rose said with a smirk. “Queen Vicky was such a laugh. You still owe me for that bet, love.”

 

He smiled at her and pointed at something on the horizon. “I don't like the look of that,” he said ominously.

 

“Is that a storm?” Rose asked him.

 

“Must be hundreds of miles away,” Christina said confidently.

 

“But getting closer,” he replied, still deep in thought.

 

“If that's a sand storm, we'll get ripped to shreds,” Christina commented, getting slightly more worried.

 

“It's a storm. Who says it's sand?” he added. Rose squeezed his hand tightly and the three of them ran back towards the bus to help them get it moving faster.

 

Back at the bus, the Doctor took Rose's phone once again and called Jack using the speakerphone so that everyone could hear, “Jack! Are you at the tunnel yet?”

 

“Yeah, we're here with UNIT. The commanding officer wants to speak with you, she's not real happy that we're involved,” Jack replied.

 

“Jack, before you hand us over, was Jamie ok? Our link is a little muffled, I was worried he might be afraid,” Rose interrupted.

 

“He was sleeping when we left, so I think you're good for now, Rosie,” Jack replied. “Here's UNIT.”

 

“Doctor?” a female voice came on the line. “This is Captain Erisa Magambo. Might I say, sir, it's an honour.”

 

“Did you just salute?” the Doctor asked her and Rose snickered beside him.

 

There was a slight pause as if she was debating how to answer before she said, “No.”

 

“Erisa, it's about the bus. Let Torchwood help, that team are friends and family of mine; they know what they're doing,” the Doctor informed her.

 

“And where are you?” she asked.

 

“I'm on the bus. But apart from that, not a clue, except it's very pretty and pretty dangerous,” he replied as he looked out the windows at the surrounding landscape.

 

“A body came through here. Have you sustained any more fatalities?” she inquired.

 

“No, and we're not going to, but I'm stuck. I haven't got the TARDIS, I can't give Jack coordinates to come get us, and I need to analyze that wormhole,” the Doctor told her.

 

“We have a scientific advisor on site, Doctor Malcolm Taylor,” she informed him.

 

“Malcolm?!” Rose exclaimed.

 

“Someone you know?” her husband asked with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Well, a parallel one. He helped me build the Dimension Cannon,” she said with a broad smile, probably the first real smile since they arrived on this planet. _“I worked with Erisa in Donna's pocket universe too,”_ she added silently.

 

They could hear a conversation over the speakerphone as Captain Magambo tried to hand the phone over to Doctor Taylor. “It's the Doctor,” Erisa said.

 

“No, I'm alright now, thanks. It was just a bit of a sore throat. Although, I've got to be honest, a cup of tea might be nice,” Malcolm replied and Rose tried to hide her giggles at the familiar behaviour.

 

“It's _the_ Doctor,” the Captain said more insistently.

 

There was a brief silence before a much more awe-filled voice asked, “Do you mean the  _Doctor_ Doctor?”

 

Rose could barely contain her laughter as she placed her head on the Doctor's shoulder and shook silently.

 

“I know. We all want to meet him one day, but we all know what that day will bring,” Magambo stated seriously.

 

Rubbing his eye and cringing with embarrassment, the Doctor interrupted, “I can hear everything you're saying.”

 

A very flustered Doctor Taylor finally addressed the phone, “Hello, Doctor? Oh, my goodness!” He laughed in disbelief.

 

“Yes, I am. Hello, Malcolm,” the Doctor replied.

 

“The Doctor. Cor blimey. I can't believe I'm actually speaking to you. I mean, I've read all the files,” Malcolm rambled.

 

“Really? What was your favourite? The Giant Robot? No, no, hold on. Let's sort out that wormhole, excuse me,” the Doctor caught himself and tried to get back to the matter at hand. He moved to the driver's seat at the front of the bus to have less distraction from the other passengers, Rose followed him.

 

“On speakerphone, please. I don't want anyone keeping secrets,” Erisa was heard saying.

 

“Malcolm, something's not making sense here. I've got a storm and a wormhole, and I can't help thinking there's a connection. I need a complete full range analysis of that wormhole. The whole thing,” the Doctor requested.

 

“Well, I've probably got the wrong idea, but I've wired up an integrator. I thought it could measure the energy signature,” Malcolm started to explain, but the Doctor interrupted him.

 

“No. No, no, no. That'll never work, listen...” the Doctor said dismissively.

 

“It's quite extraordinary, though. I'm measuring an oscillation of fifteen Malcolms per second,” Doctor Taylor continued.

 

“Fifteen what?” the Doctor asked and Rose looked at him knowingly with her eyebrows raised. She knew exactly how brilliant Malcolm was and her husband would soon learn not to dismiss the man so easily.

 

“Fifteen Malcolms. It's my own little term. A wavelength parcel of ten kilohertz operating in four dimensions equals one Malcolm,” came the reply.

 

The Doctor looked at his wife, showing his disbelief over the presumptuousness of this man. “You named a unit of measurement after yourself?” he asked.

 

“Well, it didn't do Mr Watt any harm. Furthermore, one hundred Malcolms equals a Bernard,” Malcolm added.

 

“And who's that, your dad?” the Doctor inquired.

 

“Don't be ridiculous. That's Quatermass,” Malcolm replied, seeming to forget his awe over who he was speaking with for a moment.

 

“Right. Fine. But before I die of old age, which in my case would be quite an achievement, so congratulations on that... is there anyone else I can talk to?” the Doctor asked.

 

“Doctor,” Rose chastised him warningly. If anyone on Earth could help them, it would be Malcolm.

 

“No, no, no, no, but listen. I set the scanner to register what it can't detect and inverted the image,” Doctor Taylor informed him.

 

“You did _what?_ ” the Doctor said as shock registered on his face.

 

“Is that wrong?” Malcolm asked, suddenly insecure.

 

“No, Malcolm, you're brilliant!” Rose called out.

 

“Who's that?” Malcolm asked.

 

“That's my wife, Rose. And she's right Malcolm that is absolutely genius. So, you can measure the wormhole, ok,” the Doctor replied as his mind started to whirl through what could be done with that information.

 

“The Doctor called me a genius,” Malcolm said.

 

“I know, I heard,” Captain Magambo replied.

 

“Now, run a capacity scan. I need a full report and see if Jack has any other equipment with him that might help you. Call me back when you've done it. And Malcolm? You're my new best friend,” the Doctor told him.

 

“And you're mine too, sir!” Malcolm replied quickly before the Doctor snapped the phone shut and took Rose's hand to head outside.

 

The Doctor and Rose marched through the sand back to where they could see the approaching storm, with Christina following closely. The Doctor took some photos of the storm with the phone's camera and said, “I'm sending these back to Jack's phone. See if they can analyze the storm at all from that.”

 

“There's something shiny in the storm, Doctor. Looks like metal,” Rose said as she squinted into the bright sunlight.

 

“You're right, but why would there be metal in a storm?” the Doctor pondered.

 

“Did you hear something?” Christina asked them.

 

“Hold on, busy,” the Doctor replied distractedly as he sent the photos through the phone.

 

“Umm, Doctor,” Rose got his attention as she patted his arm. “We have company,” she said and pointed to an insect-like alien silhouetted at the top of the next dune.

 

“Oooh Tritovores... remember them, Rose?” the Doctor asked.

 

“I remember the smell,” she replied with some disgust.

 

The alien made some clicking and gasping noises at them as it pointed some sort of weapon in their direction. The Doctor replied with some similar sounds.

 

“That's wait. I shout wait, people usually wait,” the Doctor explained what he was saying.

 

“How come I can't understand him, love?” Rose wondered.

 

“The TARDIS is too far from here to translate for you,” he replied, then made some more clicking noises at the Tritovore. “That's begging for mercy.”

 

The alien gestured with its weapon and Christina interpreted this time, “That means move.”

 

“Ooo, you're learning,” the Doctor responds.

 

“I don't think I've heard you speaking another language since the Sycorax,” Rose mused as they walked towards a large spaceship.

 

“Oh, I do it all the time, but the TARDIS translates it and you hear English. Jamie's learning some languages too now,” he told her.

 

“These fly things, they must be responsible. They brought us here,” Christina interrupted.

 

“Well, that's not a very nice assumption to make,” Rose argued.

 

“No, no, no, no, no. Look at the ship. It's a wreck. They crashed, just like us,” the Doctor asserted.

 

They entered the ship, still herded by the Tritovore with a gun at their back.

 

“Oh, but this place is freezing,” Christina complained.

 

“Mmm. The hull's made of photafine steel. Turns cold when it's hot. Boiling desert outside, freezing ship inside,” the Doctor explained.

 

“That could have its advantages,” Rose commented.

 

“Oh, this is beautiful. Intact, it must have been magnificent. A proper streamlined deep spacer,” he raved as he took Rose's hand. She smiled at him in agreement, she had seen her own share of spaceships.

 

“I'll remember that as I'm being slowly tortured. At least I'm bleeding on the floor of a really well designed spaceship,” Christina said morosely.

 

“Why are you so convinced that they're hostile?” Rose asked her.

 

“Well, the gun is a sure sign,” she snarked.

 

“It's just a misunderstanding, we'll get it all cleared up in no time,” Rose told her confidently.

 

They entered a room with windows to the outside. Another Tritovore was waiting there and pressed a circular purple button on its uniform. They clicked and hissed once more and the Doctor concentrated as he listened and worked to translate for the ladies with him.

 

“Oh, right, good. Yes. Hello. That's a telepathic translator. He can understand us,” the Doctor explained.

 

“Still sounds like gibberish to me,” Christina argued.

 

“He can understand us, not the other way 'round. If humans made a translator to figure out what aliens were saying, would they care about making sure they were understood as well?” Rose asked. This woman was frustrating her terribly and the Doctor squeezed her hand in silent understanding.

 

The aliens began their clicking noises again as the Doctor translated, “You will suffer for your crimes... etcetera. You have committed an act of violence against the Tritovore race. You came here in the two hundred to destroy us. Sorry, what's the two hundred?”

 

“It's the bus. Number two hundred. They mean the bus,” Christina said.

 

“Oh! No, look, I think you're making the same mistake Christina did. I'm the Doctor, by the way, this is my wife, Rose and that's Christina. We got pulled through that wormhole. The two hundred doesn't look like that normally. It's broken, just the same as you,” the Doctor explained to the Tritovores and they lowered their weapons.

 

“What are they doing?” Christina asked as they put their weapons away.

 

“They believe me,” the Doctor told her.

 

“See? Misunderstanding,” Rose added and raised her head a little higher.

 

“What, as simple as that?” Christina gaped, wondering who could be so trusting.

 

“He said it was a telepathic translator. It would tell them if he was lying,” Rose said exasperatedly. Did the Doctor get this frustrated when he had to train new companions?

 

“Right. So, first things first. There's a very strange storm heading our way. Can you send out a probe?” the Doctor asked as he jumped over to look out the windows of the ship. Listening to their clicks again, he translated and rambled at the same time, “Oh, they've lost power. Hmm, the crash knocked the mainline crystallography out of synch... but if I can jiggle it back...”

 

He pulled on something and then kicked the machine rather hard. The systems all hummed back to life and Rose wrapped her arms around his neck with a giggle.

 

“I thank you,” the Doctor said with a slight bow. One of the Tritovores chittered at him and he replied, “Yes, I am. Frequently. Okey doke, let's launch that probe.”

 

While they waited for the probe to reach the approaching storm, the Doctor called up a holographic display to show their current location.

 

“The Scorpion Nebula. We're on the other side of the universe. Just what you wanted, Christina. So far away. The planet of San Helios,” he explained as they watched images float in the air.

 

“And that's us? We're on another world?” Christina asked, sounding slightly awed for a change.

 

“We have been for quite a while,” he reminded her.

 

“I know, but seeing it like that...” she admitted.

 

“The Tritovores were going to trade with San Helios. Population of one hundred billion. Plenty of waste matter for them to absorb,” the Doctor continued in his explanation.

 

“By waste matter, you mean...?” she questioned with a cringe.

 

“They feed off what others leave behind, from their... behind, if you see what I mean. It's perfectly natural. They are flies,” he told her.

 

“Culture shock. Happens to the best of us,” Rose said, mirroring one of her first conversations with the Doctor. He smirked at her. “But, Doctor, if we know where we are now, could Jack come get us with his Vortex Manipulator?” she asked with renewed hope.

 

“That's not a bad idea, but he couldn't take this many back to Earth. Maybe though, he could get one of us back to the TARDIS and we could bring the TARDIS here,” he said excitedly and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Rose hummed and smiled into the kiss, she loved being rewarded for her brilliance. Just when Rose was starting to feel lightheaded due to a lack of oxygen, her phone started ringing in the Doctor's pocket.

 

He released her lips with a pop and flipped open the phone, “Malcolm? Tell me the bad news.”

 

“Oh, you are clever. It is bad news. It's the wormhole, Doctor, it's getting bigger,” Malcolm replied. “We've gone way past one hundred Bernards. I haven't invented a name for that.”

 

“How can it get bigger by itself?” the Doctor asked rhetorically.

 

“Well, that's why I'm phoning. You'll work it out, if I know you, sir,” Doctor Taylor replied.

 

“Doctor, we estimate the circumference of your invisible wormhole is now four miles heading outwards. I've grounded all flights above London. We can't risk anyone else falling through,” Captain Magambo informed him.

 

“Good work, both of you. Now, I need to talk to Jack, is he nearby?” the Doctor requested.

 

There was a brief pause before they heard the familiar voice of Captain Jack, “Hey, Doc! How can I help?”

 

“We've figured out our location as being on San Helios. There's a crashed Tritovore ship here as well,” the Doctor told him.

 

“San Helios? There's no deserts on San Helios. A lot of really great strip clubs, but...” Jack began.

 

“Yeah, yeah. That's great, Jack. But I need you to use your Vortex Manipulator to come pick up Rose and bring her back to the TARDIS. She can pilot it back to us and we'll get everyone out of here, safe and sound,” the Doctor told him. 

 

Rose looked about to object with his plan, but he continued to explain the rest, “While she's doing that, Malcolm and I are going to figure out what's going on with this storm and how to close that wormhole. Because there should be a hundred billion people on this planet, but they, along with all vegetable and animal life have been turned to sand.”

 

“Yes, there should,” Jack said with a sigh. “Alright, Doctor. Sounds like a plan, do you have coordinates for me to get Rose?” Jack asked.

 

“I'll check the computer here for exact coordinates and text them to this number. See you soon, Jack,” the Doctor replied and hung up so that he could start typing in the numbers for Jack.

 

“Are you sure I'll be able to pilot her here by myself? I'm still learning, Doctor,” Rose asked, letting some of her insecurity show.

 

“You are brilliant and she'll help you. The TARDIS loves you, don't worry a bit. Just plug these coordinates into her system and she'll get you here. The time is concurrent, nothing to worry about,” he reassured her with a hug and a kiss on her forehead.

 

With a flash of light, Jack Harkness appeared on the ship. “ _Hello,_ Captain Jack Harkness,” he said with a panty-dropping smile toward Christina. Rose and the Doctor both rolled their eyes as he shook her hand and asked, “And you are?”

 

“Lady Christina de Souza, and that was quite the entrance, Captain,” she replied, slightly flustered.

 

The computer beeped some kind of alert and one of the Tritovores clicked at the Doctor.

 

“It's the probe. It's reached the storm,” the Doctor translated and the alien kept talking.

 

“And, what's he saying?” Christina asked.

 

“It's not a storm,” the Doctor ominously replied.

 

On the holographic display, they could see what the probe's cameras were picking up. Giant stingrays flew through the air en masse.

 

“That's not a storm, that's a swarm,” Jack said.

 

“Millions of them,” Christina sounded fearful.

 

“Billions,” the Doctor corrected as one of the creatures flew straight at the probe and with a final flash of teeth, the video feed died. “Oh, we've lost the probe. I think it got eaten. Everything on this planet gets eaten.” He rubbed his eyes in frustration as he thought.

 

“How far away are they, Doctor?” Rose asked, they always worked better with a deadline.

 

“A hundred miles. But at that speed, the swarm will be here in twenty minutes. No, no, no, they're not just coming for us. They want the wormhole,” the Doctor said as he worked through the computations in his head.

 

“They're heading for Earth? We've got to warn them,” Jack said as he started entering coordinates back to London into his wrist strap.

 

“Show the analysis,” the Doctor said to the Tritovores. The display suddenly showed a variety of complex graphs and computations. “Incredible. They swarm out of a wormhole, strip the planet bare, then move onto the next world. Start the life cycle all over again.” 

 

“So, those things are making the wormholes? How do they do that?” Rose asked him.

 

“Hang on, hang on. Oh, yes! Do you see? Billions of them, flying in formation, all around the planet. Round and round and round, faster and faster and faster, 'til they generate a rupture in space. The speed of them, and the numbers, and the size, all of that rips the wormhole into existence,” the Doctor babbled as he worked out the situation.

 

“But how do they get through? Because that wormhole's a killer, we've seen it,” Christina asked.

 

“Look at those things. They've got an exoskeleton made out of metal, it'll take more than a wormhole to take those out,” Jack told her.

 

“Ok, here's the plan,” the Doctor said, turning to Jack decisively. “Jack, you take Rose back to London and get UNIT ready in case any of those things get through before I can close it.”

 

Jack nodded and the Doctor turned to Rose, taking her hands in his, “Rose, bring the TARDIS back to the bus. Oh, here... I'll program my sonic with the coordinates, just point and shoot, then she'll help you fly. We are going to get back to the bus ourselves while I keep talking with Malcolm. We have to figure out how we're going to plug that hole,” the Doctor announced.

 

“Be careful, love. I'll be back in a jiffy,” Rose said and gave her husband another kiss before placing her hand on Jack's Vortex Manipulator. In a flash, they were gone.

 

The Tritovores tried to argue about leaving their ship, but the Doctor assured them that he could get them home in the TARDIS afterward. The walk back to the bus was slightly awkward for Christina, since she couldn't (and didn't really want to) communicate with the Tritovores and the Doctor was on the phone with Malcolm.

 

“Malcolm? It's the Doctor,” he said when the call connected.

 

“I'm ready,” Doctor Taylor replied anxiously.

 

“Ready for what?” the Doctor asked, suddenly a bit confused.

 

“I don't know. You tell me,” Malcolm said.

 

“Ok, so, my wife has gone back to get the TARDIS so that we can all get home safely. Once she gets here, we need to close the wormhole. Have you thought up a way to do that yet?” the Doctor asked his new best friend.

 

“Well, sir, I was thinking that a compressed burst of feedback on a counter-oscillation, perchance?” the nervous scientist suggested.

 

“Oh, Malcolm, you're brilliant. Rose was right, any version of you is absolutely stellar,” the Doctor praised.

 

“Coming from you, sir, that means the world,” Malcolm accepted graciously.

 

“Doctor?” Captain Magambo interrupted. “Captain Harkness has informed us of the nature of the hostiles on your side. Is it likely that they'll be coming through?”

 

“Provided Rose gets here with the TARDIS in a timely manner, we should be able to close the rift before they reach it. But I don't want to close it until I'm sure that our ride out of here has safely arrived, thanks Captain. Just get that ready Malcolm and I'll give you the signal,” the Doctor said as he shut off the phone.

 

When they arrived back at the bus, Angela became very upset at the sight of the aliens accompanying them.

 

“Relax, everyone. These are some friends we met nearby. Their ship crashed here as well. Now, there are some very not nice things on the way towards us, BUT Rose managed to hitch a lift with a friend of ours back to our spaceship and she'll be bringing it here shortly. Then we can get everyone home safe and sound,” the Doctor announced to the bedraggled group in front of him. They were already in shock from the other unlikely events, what more could adding aliens and a spaceship do?

 

At the sound of the TARDIS materializing, the Doctor flipped open the phone and gave Malcolm the go ahead to plug the wormhole. He had apparently been arguing with Captain Magambo, who was ordering him to close it before they were sure that the Doctor could get back. This bumped Malcolm even higher up on the Doctor's nice list and Erisa down a couple of notches.

 

Rose opened the doors and welcomed everyone inside their time ship. They heard the usual exclamations about it being bigger on the inside than the outside, but rushed to close the doors and leave San Helios before the swarm arrived.

 

The Doctor and Rose landed the TARDIS on the street where UNIT had set up the blockade. They had several passengers to drop off and the Doctor wanted to make sure that Malcolm got the wormhole closed completely.

 

As their guests exited the TARDIS, several UNIT officers began to escort them to a debriefing area. Christina was quickly scooped up and handcuffed by the police. She looked sourly out at them from the backseat of the police car.

 

From out of one of the UNIT trucks exploded a short man wearing small round glasses and a white lab coat. He headed straight for the Doctor and without warning, wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug.

 

Rose mouthed, “Malcolm” at him and he nodded in understanding looking quite surprised by the outburst of affection.

 

“You... must be Malcolm,” the Doctor said awkwardly.

 

“Oh... oh. I love you,” Malcolm said and Rose stifled a giggle.

 

The Doctor patted him gently on the back and smiled at him as Captain Magambo ordered him away. Malcolm left the area with several longing glances back towards the TARDIS.

 

“Doctor, I salute you whether you like it or not. Now, I take it we're safe from those things?” Erisa asked him after the unwelcome salute.

 

“They'll start again. Generate a new doorway. It's not their fault, it's their natural life cycle. But I'll see if I can nudge the wormholes on toward uninhabited planets,” the Doctor explained. 

 

Turning to motion toward the other saved bus passengers, the Doctor said, “Closer to home, Captain. Those two lads. Very good in a crisis. Nathan needs a job, Barclay's good with engines. You could do a lot worse,” the Doctor told her with a nod towards each of their new friends.

 

“I'll see what I can do. 'Til we meet again, Doctor,” the Captain said as she snapped off another salute before leaving.

 

Carmen approached the Doctor to speak with him urgently, “Doctor? You take care now.”

 

“You too. Chops and gravy, lovely,” the Doctor replied with a smile.

 

“No, but _you_ be careful. Because your song is ending, sir,” she told him earnestly.

 

“What do you mean, Carmen?” Rose asked, worried for her husband.

 

“It is returning. It is returning through the dark. And then, Doctor...? Oh, but then... he will knock four times,” Carmen said sadly. She turned then and walked away with her husband.

 

“What does that mean, Doctor?” Rose questioned him, the fear in her eyes was heartbreaking. She remembered all too well the last time a prophesy was aimed at them.

 

“I'm not sure, but we've got lots to do with that son of ours before any songs are ending. Got that, love?” he urged her as he took her in his arms. She nodded against his chest and together, they entered the TARDIS to take their Tritovore friends home.

 

Rose stuck her head back out the doors just before they left to shout, “Hey Jack! Did you want a lift home?”

 

With a wide, toothy grin, Jack stopped flirting with the police officer he was chatting up and ran over to the time machine. “Absolutely, gorgeous!”

 

“We've got to make a quick stop on Tritovaria, but then we'll head back to Cardiff,” she told him as they shut the doors and the TARDIS dematerialized.

 

As Rose slept in her husband's arms that night, he gently stroked her hair and thought. It is returning. What is returning? The Doctor hated ominous predictions. So he planned to do what they did best; take his son and wife, and run.

 


	10. Waters of Mars

Chapter Ten – The Waters of Mars

 

“So, Jamie, today we're going to explore one of the planets in your mother's home system - Mars. We'll all need spacesuits for this one because we're visiting before the colonization,” the Doctor told his son as he finished fastening the clasps on his little orange suit.

 

“Are we going to see Ice Warriors?” Jamie asked excitedly. The five year old already exceeded most human teenaged children in his knowledge thanks to his Time Lord brain and the eager teachings of his father.

 

“No, I don't think that would be a good idea for a field trip just yet. Maybe when you're older,” he added with a wink.

 

Rose walked into the console room, already wearing her own orange suit, and talking on the phone. “Yes, mum, we'll visit soon... I promise. Yes, here's Jamie,” she said as she handed the phone to her son.

 

“Hi gran! We're going to Mars today! And I get to wear a spacesuit, but daddy says there won't be any Ice Warriors. I really wanted to see them. They're big and green and they hiss when they talk!” Jamie babbled at Jackie on the phone.

 

“That's great, sweetheart. You be careful and tell your daddy that he needs to bring you round to visit me soon, ok?” Jackie replied as soon as she could get a word in.

 

“But careful is so _boring_ , gran. Yesterday, we went to an amusement park with the biggest roller coaster in this galaxy!” the young man informed her. His parents smirked as they listened to him voice their own opinions on being careful.

 

“Well, boring or not, I want to see you back here alive, young man. And soon besides,” Jackie responded.

 

“Yes, gran. Love you,” Jamie said as he handed the phone back to his mother.

 

“Alright, mum. See you soon,” Rose said as she turned off the phone and put it away in her pocket before closing up her spacesuit.

 

Once all of their suits were sealed and their helmets on, the little family exited their time ship onto the surface of Mars.

 

“The red planet,” the Doctor announced.

 

“It's beautiful,” Rose said as she looked around. She squinted against the sunlight that glinted off of the rocks scattered around them and the hills in the distance.

 

“Let's try this way,” the Doctor suggested and with Jamie held between them, they swung him happily over the rocky terrain.

 

As they climbed the hills, Jamie ran ahead to explore. Rose and the Doctor watched him with happy smiles. They had spent the last few years just playing it safe. Family trips and educational outings had filled their days as Jamie was learning everything his father could teach him.

 

“Mum! Dad! You've got to come see this!” Jamie shouted.

 

“You don't need to shout, you know. We are using comm systems in the space suits,” Rose chastised and wished that she could rub her sore ears from the outburst.

 

“Sorry, but really, come see!” he replied more softly. He was generally quite soft spoken, but easily excited.

 

Looking over the pile of boulders he had climbed up on, they saw a group of domes and a small rocket.

 

“Oh, beautiful,” the Doctor sighed happily.

 

“I thought you said we were coming before the colonization, dad?” Jamie asked.

 

“Well...” the Doctor started, but suddenly felt something poke him in the back.

 

They heard a mechanical voice come over their comm systems, “Rotate, slowly.”

 

Rose, the Doctor and Jamie all turned to see a small, white robot that seemed to be pointing a weapon at them. “You are under arrest for trespassing. Gadget gadget,” the robot said and directed them to precede it down the escarpment and head toward the central dome of the base.

 

Once inside, they were instructed to remove their spacesuits and came face to face with a rather angry looking blonde woman. Rose and the Doctor were trying to be cautious in the face of weapons, but Jamie thought it was fantastic. Perhaps they shouldn't have kept all of their trips quite so trouble free.

 

“This is so cool!” he exclaimed as he started looking at a nearby computer terminal.

 

The angry woman powered up a gun and pointed it at the Doctor as she ordered, “State your name, rank, and intention.”

 

“ _Jamie, come here please,”_ Rose thought to her son worriedly. He stopped what he was doing and ran to huddle between his parents, concerned by their feelings now that he was paying attention.

 

“The Doctor, doctor, fun,” came his direct reply.

 

“And you?” she asked with a nod to Rose.

 

“Rose, umm... mum, I suppose, and fun as well,” she answered, hoping the honest answers would appease the woman long enough for her to put the gun down.

 

“Why the hell would you bring a child out here?” she demanded to know.

 

“It's a field trip,” Jamie replied innocently. “We were having a great time until that silly little robot came along.”

 

A young man suddenly came running into the room, gaping at the newcomers. “What the hell? It's people. People on Mars? How?” he sputtered. Rose was reminded suddenly of the responses of the crew on the Sanctuary Base on Krop Tor. Hopefully, things would go a little more smoothly this time.

 

“They were wearing these things. I have never seen anything like them before,” a young woman with a strong German accent said from behind them as she up held their orange suits.

 

“What did Mission Control say?” the young man asked.

 

“They're out of range for ten hours with the solar flares,” the woman holding the spacesuits replied.

 

“If we could cut the chat, everyone,” the angry woman with the gun interrupted.

 

“Actually, chat's second on my list. The first being gun, pointed at my family. Which then puts my family second, which is generally not the case, family comes first usually, you know. But in this case, for the sake of my family's safety, let's put priority on removing said gun from being pointed at my family and put cutting the chat into third place on the list. Yeah, I hate lists, but you could hurt someone with that thing. Just, put it down, please,” the Doctor babbled nervously. He was terrified really, this was the most danger his son had been in since the incident with the Cybermen, years ago. The Doctor knew that angry, frightened people and guns were not a good combination.

 

“Oh, you'd like that,” the woman responded.

 

“Can you find me someone who wouldn't? Or do you make it a habit of executing people in front of their children?” the Doctor asked, hoping that his concern for his son's safety would earn him a little more respect in this woman's eyes.

 

“Why should I trust you?” she demanded, her tension apparent in the frown lines on her face.

 

“Why wouldn't you?” Rose questioned in return as she wrapped an arm around Jamie's shoulders. He was only five, but he was tall and thin, like his father and was already as tall as Rose's chest.

 

The woman glanced from one face to the next in the little group, finally settling on the little boy. She looked into his wide eyes and her own became slightly glassy. With a sigh, she powered down the gun and put it away.

 

“Keep Gadget covering them,” she ordered another young man who seemed to be wired into some kind of computer system.

 

“Gadget gadget,” the little robot acknowledged.

 

“Oh right, so you control that thing. Auto-glove response,” the Doctor said as he moved his attention to the other weapon still being aimed at his family.

 

“You got it. To the right,” the man told them as he moved the controls and the robot turned. “And to the left,” he added as the robot wobbled and sparked a bit when it turned.

 

“It's a bit rubbish,” Jamie said as he walked around it. “I could probably fix it up a bit for you, if you want,” he added as he began to reach for the sonic in his pocket.

 

“No! Jamie, I think we'd best leave their toys alone, yeah?” Rose stopped him before he revealed too much of their own technology.

 

“Gadget gadget,” the robot repeated.

 

“Does it have to keep saying that?” the Doctor asked with a grimace.

 

“I think it's funny,” the man controlling the robot replied. He seemed grumpy at having a child insult the machine he considered to be cutting edge.

 

“I hate funny robots,” the Doctor replied.

 

Another woman's voice suddenly came over the communication system, “Excuse me, boss. Computer log says we've got extra people on site. How's that possible?”

 

“Keep the Biodome closed. And when using open comms, you call be Captain,” the older woman responded into a handheld device, seeming more and more frustrated by her team's lack of discipline.

 

“Yeah, but...” the voice sounded before the Captain flicked a switch to disconnect the channel.

 

An older man and a young Asian woman entered the room to see the impossible visitors for themselves. The man immediately started trying to work out who they could be and how they got there.

 

“They can't be a World State flight, because we'd know about it. Therefore, he's got to be one of the independents, yeah? Was it the Branson inheritance lot? They've talked about a Mars shot for years,” the man ranted.

 

The Doctor tried to keep quiet and not lie to these people, but he also couldn't tell them how they really got there either. He urged Jamie and Rose to stay silent as well through their telepathic links. Eventually though, he needed answers and decided to let them think whatever they wanted to about who they might be.

 

“Right, yes, ok, you got me. So, I'm the Doctor, and you are?” he asked the man ranting in his face.

 

“Oh, come on. We're the first off-world colonists in history. Everyone on planet Earth knows who we are,” the Captain told him, obviously not believing that they didn't know who they were talking to.

 

The Doctor and Jamie looked at each other quickly, with wide eyes. “You're the first?” the Doctor asked quietly and glanced at all of the people again. “The very first humans on Mars? Then this is...”

 

“Bowie Base One,” the Captain, the Doctor and Jamie all said in unison.

 

Jamie took his father's hand and held it tightly as the Doctor started rambling facts about the mission, “Number one. Founded July first, 2058. Established Bowie Base One in the Gusev Crater. You've been here how long?”

 

“Seventeen months,” the Captain replied suspiciously and Jamie gasped.

 

“2059\. It's 2059, right now. Oh! My head is so stupid. You're Captain Adelaide Brooke. And Ed... you're Deputy Edward Gold. Tarak Ital, MD. Nurse Yuri Kerenski. Senior Technician Steffi Ehrlich. Junior Technician Roman Groom. Geologist Mia Bennett. You're only twenty-seven years old,” he named each of them in turn as the anguish in his features grew. He picked up Jamie and held him tightly, knowing that the lessons for today would be the hardest ones for any Time Lord to learn.

 

“As I said, Doctor, everyone knows our names,” the Captain said, not sure how to take his sudden change in demeanour.

 

“Oh, they'll never forget them. What's the date, today? What is it? Tell me the exact date,” the Doctor requested.

 

“November twenty-first, 2059,” Adelaide replied.

 

“Right. Ok, fine. Just... excuse us a moment,” the Doctor said tightly as he turned to take Rose's hand and addressed his family silently, _“I can tell from your anxiety, Jamie that you remember what happens here today. This is the day that Bowie Base One explodes. No one ever knew what happened, but it has GOT to happen. Can you feel the time-lines, Jamie?”_

 

“ _Yes, daddy. It feels tight and uncomfortable. Is that right?”_ Jamie asked as his eyes lost focus in concentration.

 

“ _Yes. That's what it feels like as we approach a fixed point. Rose, you know what can happen if we try to mess with one of those,”_ the Doctor replied.

 

“ _Reapers. We've got to get out of here,”_ his wife responded, fear evident in her eyes.

 

They all nodded and the Doctor turned to address the others in the room again. “We need to go. Really, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry with all my hearts, but this is one of those very rare times when I've got no choice. It's been an honour. Seriously, a very great honour to meet you all. The Martian pioneers,” he said as he moved to shake all of their hands, but the scientists seemed to sense that something wasn't quite as it should be.

 

“Is there something wrong?” Steffi, who had been holding their spacesuits earlier, asked the Doctor.

 

“What's so important about my age?” Mia wondered.

 

“What about the other two, daddy? Margaret Cain and Andrew Stone,” Jamie asked.

 

Ed moved to a nearby computer station and pressed a few buttons before speaking, “Maggie, if you want to meet the only new human beings that you're going to see in the next five years, better come take a look.”

 

There was nothing but silence for a moment before a low, rumbling growl was heard over the speakers.

 

“What was that?” Mia questioned fearfully.

 

“Oh, we really need to go,” the Doctor lamented, despite his desire to help these people.

 

“This is Central. Biodome report immediately,” Ed called into the comm system. There was no reply as Adelaide rushed to his side.

 

“Show me the Biodome,” she demanded.

 

“Internal cameras are down,” he replied as he typed frantically into the system.

 

“Show me the exterior,” the Captain ordered in frustration. They all watched as the lights inside and outside of the Biodome extinguished.

 

“I'm going over. Doctor, with me,” Adelaide stated authoritatively.

 

“What?!” Rose exclaimed. They needed to leave, this place was going to explode today and if it didn't, then they'd all likely be consumed by Reapers instead.

 

“Yeah, I'm sorry. Er, I'd love to help, but we are leaving right now,” the Doctor informed her.

 

“Take their spacesuits and lock them up. This started as soon as you arrived, so you're not going anywhere except with me,” the Captain ordered.

 

“Rose, keep Jamie close,” he told his wife as he handed the boy in his arms to her. _“And try to gain some sympathy so we can get out of here,”_ he added silently. She nodded and kissed him lightly.

 

The Doctor left with Captain Brooke and Doctor Ital, followed by the little white robot to relay a video feed back to the central dome. Rose and Jamie watched the feed over Roman's shoulder as he controlled the robot.

 

The Doctor chatted with the people about his dislike of people making robots look and act silly. He knew they were capable of some really remarkable things if they were taken seriously. He did mention finding robot dogs alright.

 

“Can we have a robot dog, mummy?” Jamie asked excitedly.

 

“You'll have to ask your father, I'm afraid. He used to have a robot dog named K9, but he gave it to Sarah Jane,” Rose replied and ruffled his messy hair. Jamie's brown mop of hair rivalled his father's some days for how artfully rumpled it could be.

 

Over the comm channel, they could hear the Doctor talking with Adelaide, “I've read all that stuff about you, Captain Adelaide. But one thing they never said. Was it worth it, the mission?”

 

“We've got excellent results from the soil analysis,” she responded professionally.

 

“No, but all of it. Because they say you sacrificed everything. Devoted your whole life to get here,” he pressed, needing to know that this woman was satisfied with the life she lived as she approached the end of it.

 

“It's been chaos back home. Forty long years. The climate, the ozone, the oil apocalypse. We almost reached extinction. Then to fly above that... to stand on a world with no smoke, where the only straight line is the sunlight? Yes. It's worth it,” she admitted finally and the passion could be heard in her voice even through the comm.

 

“Ah. That's the Adelaide Brooke I always wanted to meet. The woman with starlight in her soul,” he said admiringly.

 

“What's _that_ ,” she asked suddenly, looking further down the hallway.

 

They ran towards a body lying lifeless on the floor and the little robot raced to catch up with them. Tarak immediately began to check her over and the Doctor reminded them continuously not to touch her. Maggie was unconscious but breathing and seemed to have some kind of head injury.

 

Ed and Yuri retrieved her with a stretcher and she was placed in isolation while the Doctor, Tarak, and Adelaide continued towards the Biodome to find Andy. The robot was left to monitor the entrance to the dome, so Rose and Jamie decided to take a look at what was happening with the patient. They were directed towards the medical dome by Ed, who felt that the petite blonde and her son couldn't do much harm.

 

Maggie had dark skin and wore dark green coveralls. As she started to stir, Yuri contacted Captain Brooke, “Captain, good news. It's Maggie. She's awake. She's back with us.”

 

Maggie tried to sit up from the bed and Yuri called to her, “Hey, how are you, soldier? Just take it easy. Can you remember what happened?”

 

“I was just working. Then I woke up here,” Maggie replied. Rose and Jamie just watched her for now, taking in all the information they could while trying to stay out of the way.

 

“What about Andy? We can't find him. Was he alright?” Adelaide said over the comm.

 

“I don't know. I just...” she replied in confusion.

 

“If you remember anything, let me know straight away,” the Captain ordered.

 

Ed came on the channel then and asked, “Yuri, does she know how she ended up in the tunnel?”

 

“And keep the comms clear!” Adelaide ordered crossly. “Everything goes through me, got that?” The discussion disconnected suddenly and Yuri was unruffled by the outburst seemed accustomed to the harsh interactions between Ed and Adelaide.

 

“Come on. Just let me out of here. I'm fine. Just groggy,” Maggie coaxed Yuri.

 

“You know the rules. Twenty-four hours,” he answered with a friendly and understanding smile as he entered her vital statistics into the panel in front of him.

 

“Who are you two?” she asked through the isolation glass when she noticed the strangers in the room with Yuri.

 

“Oh, we're just... visiting,” Rose replied with a slightly nervous smile. “I'm Rose and this is Jamie.”

 

“Hello,” Jamie said softly with a small wave.

 

Maggie looked at the computer in front of Yuri where a video was playing and asks, “Is that your brother?”

 

Jamie and Rose turned to look at it and saw a man speaking Russian. The TARDIS translated it for them, of course, but Jamie asked the TARDIS to let him hear it properly so he could practise his Russian.

 

“It's only a repeat. The solar flares are still up. Are you ok?” Yuri asked Maggie, noticing that she seemed a little shaky. 

 

“Yeah, just... you know,” she replied quickly with a reassuring smile.

 

Yuri, Rose and Jamie turned back to the screen to watch the Russian man telling a story. Yuri roughly translated for everyone, unaware that all but Maggie could understand it already. Maggie began to ask questions about his brother and became more and more interested as Yuri described where he lived by the Caspian Sea.

 

“Earth is so much water,” she said eerily. Jamie felt a tingle go up his spine at her words, but kept his eyes fixed on the screen in front of him.

 

“Yeah. Just look at her. Forty million miles away,” Yuri agreed, dreaming of home.

 

“It has so much beauty. We should like that world,” Maggie said and her voice suddenly changed, dropping to a low frightening timbre.

 

Yuri, Rose and Jamie all turned to look at her and saw that her lips looked black and grey. The skin surrounding them was severely cracked and there was water pouring out of her mouth continuously. She gave them all an evil smile and Jamie leapt into his mother's arms, wrapping himself around her and burying his face in her neck.

 

“This is Sickbay. We have a situation! Maggie's condition has... I don't know. I don't know what it is. It's water, just pouring out!” Yuri called into the comm system in a panic.

 

Maggie sneered at them through the glass.

 

“Yuri, calm down. Just tell me what's happened to her,” Adelaide replied through the speakers.

 

“The skin is sort of broken around the mouth... and she's exuding water, like she's drowning,” Yuri answered, obviously frightened.

 

They heard Adelaide start issuing orders, “Tarak, this area's unsafe. We're going back. ... Tarak? ... Tarak!”

 

“Where was he?” the Doctor was heard to say.

 

“Yuri, keep her contained. Seal the door at maximum. I'm on my way!” Ed called over the comms.

 

Rose backed into the corner with Jamie, but stayed in the room so that they could get as much information about what was happening as possible. Any little clue might help the Doctor.

 

Ed entered the infirmary and looked at Maggie through the glass to the isolation room. She stared back at him with wide eyes, her hands on the glass. There was water pouring out of her sleeves and down to the floor.

 

“What the hell?” Ed asked quietly.

 

Over the comm system, they heard Mia ask, “What's happened to her? Yuri, what is she?”

 

“Captain, we need you back here,” Steffi added.

 

“Just tell me that Maggie is contained. Can you confirm, Ed?” Adelaide demanded.

 

“Confirmed. She's locked in,” he replied, still staring at his transformed co-worker.

 

“Keep surveillance 'til I get back. And close down all water supplies. All pipes and outlets. Don't consume anything. Have you got that, everyone? That's an order. Don't drink the water. Don't even touch it, not one drop,” she ordered firmly and disconnected.

 

The four people in the infirmary watched the woman in isolation warily as she stared back at them with large eyes and water pouring over blackened teeth. The silence was deafening, but none of them knew what to say.

 

Suddenly, Adelaide came back over the comm system and startled all of them, “Biodome Tunnel is out of bounds. Andy and Tarak are infected. Repeat, infected. Make no contact and if they make the slightest move, tell me. I'm going to the Medical Dome.”

 

Rose and Jamie were relieved that the Doctor was on his way to their location, but the others felt no such consolation. When the Doctor and Adelaide arrived, there was some discussion about the door seals and Maggie's condition as the Doctor watched her through the glass. Adelaide tried talking to her but there was no response other than staring.

 

The Doctor began to speak in another language. To the scientists it sounded like gibberish, but Jamie understood it and Rose heard the translation, “Can you understand me now? What is it you want?”

 

Maggie looked at him curiously then, and Ed asked, “What language is that?”

 

“Ancient North Martian,” Jamie answered. The scientists looked at him in surprise.

 

“Don't be ridiculous,” Adelaide said.

 

“No, it is. Very good, Jamie,” the Doctor praised.

 

“It's like she recognized it,” Ed admitted with his arms crossed protectively across his chest.

 

“Where do you get your water from?” the Doctor inquired, needing a few more facts.

 

“The ice field. That's why we chose the crater. We're on top of an underground glacier,” Adelaide replied.

 

“Tons of water. Marvellous,” the Doctor said sarcastically.

 

“But every single drop is filtered, screened; it's safe,” Yuri insisted.

 

“Oh, you think so?” Rose interjected. She had moved to the Doctor's side with Jamie still in her arms and he placed an arm protectively over her shoulders.

 

“If something was frozen down there. A viral life form held in the ice for all those years...” Ed postulated.

 

“Look at her mouth. All blackened, like there's some sort of fission. This thing, whatever it is, doesn't just hide in water, it creates water,” the Doctor explained.

 

He looked back at Maggie curiously and requested in English, “Tell me what you want.”

 

There was no response, so Yuri told him, “She was looking at the screen. At Earth. She wanted Earth. A world full of water.”

 

“She did say something about that, Doctor. She said... umm...” Rose began.

 

“We should like that world,” Jamie finished. “That was the first thing she said when her voice changed. They want to go to the Earth and infect everyone.”

 

"Captain, with me," Ed said as he pulled her aside by the arm. "I'm sorry, but it's an unknown infection and it's spreading. That demands Action Procedure One."

 

"Do you think I don't know that?" Adelaide replied angrily, pulling her arm out of his hold.

 

"I think you need reminding," he said sincerely, glancing worriedly back over his shoulder.

 

"Yeah," she sighed.

 

"Well, at least I'm good for something," he said teasingly.

 

"Now and again," she admitted reluctantly, a small smile tugging at her lips.

 

"That's almost a compliment. Things must be serious," Ed told her. Seeming relieved at her apparent softening towards him.

 

"Sorry, sorry, but Action One, that means evacuation, yeah?" The Doctor interrupted, having overheard their conversation.

 

"We're going home. This is Captain Brooke, I'm declaring Action One. Repeat to all crew members, this is Action One with immediate effect. Evacuate the base," she announced over the comm system.

 

The crew immediately jumped into action, packing food and essentials for their trip home. The Captain gave them a ridiculously short time limit, but everyone just pushed to accomplish it without complaint.

 

The Doctor knew however that this wouldn't be enough. "Of course, the only problem is..." The Doctor began to tell her.

 

"Thank you, Doctor. Your spacesuits will be returned, and good luck to you," Adelaide cut him off shortly as she rushed to get things ready.

 

"The problem is, this thing is clever. It didn't infect the birds or the insects in the Biodome, it chose the humans. You were chosen. And I told you, Adelaide, water can wait. Tarak changed straight away, but when Maggie was infected, it stayed hidden inside her. No doubt so it could infiltrate the Central Dome. Which means..." The Doctor explained and waited for her to draw the conclusion necessary.

 

"Any one of us could already be infected. We've all been drinking the same water," she said, horrified by the realization.

 

"And if you take that back to Earth, one drop... just one drop..." he added, in warning.

 

Adelaide insisted on determining whether it was possible for anyone else to be infected, by establishing when and how the infection started. Rose and Jamie stayed out of everyone's way and got their spacesuits on while they waited for the Doctor.

 

They had determined that the contamination should have been contained in the Biodome and the rest should be fine, but Maggie was successfully breaking out of isolation and Andy and Tarak were trying to break in from outside the domes. The crew were frantically trying to get everything into the rocket to evacuate, but time was running out.

 

The Doctor put on his spacesuit sadly and ushered his family into the airlock to leave. As they were about to go through the exterior door, however, the computer said, "Access denied."

 

Over the comm, Adelaide said, "Tell me what happens."

 

"Captain, this is one of those times where what happens, has to happen. I can't change it. You're taking Action One. There are four more standard action procedures, and Action Five is...?" the Doctor prompted.

 

"Detonation," she whispered.

 

"The final option. The nuclear device at the heart of the Central Dome. I've taught you what happens here today, Jamie. Tell her what happens and why it must be," the Doctor encouraged the young Time Lord to show his understanding of fixed points.

 

"Today, on the twenty-first of November, 2059, Captain Adelaide Brooke activates that device, taking the base and all of her crew members with her. No one ever knows why, but you were saving Earth. That's what inspires your granddaughter. She takes your people out into the galaxy because you die on Mars. You die today. She flies out there trying to meet you," Jamie tells her sadly.

 

"But..." Adelaide tries to argue.

 

"And why are WE here, Jamie? What do the timelines tell you?" The Doctor prompts further.

 

"If we hadn't been here, they may not have discovered the infection in time or may not have taken enough action against it and all life on Earth could have been lost. If we try to change any of it, the fabric of reality will warp and Reapers will come to consume the cause of the paradox," Jamie explained, showing just how fully he understood the losses to come.

 

They could hear her sobbing before she said, "Goodbye, Doctor, Rose, you keep that little boy safe." 

 

The family sadly and reverently left the airlock and hurried back to the TARDIS. From safe within her walls, they monitored the situation and the base as it was indeed destroyed by a nuclear blast. The rocket never left the Martian surface. 

 

Rose and the Doctor held Jamie in a tight hug, as they all sat together on the jump seat. All of them were crying, but they also knew that it all needed to happen. Rose learned this lesson when her father died, Jamie learned it now.

 

They were all surprised when abruptly an Ood appeared in the console room.

 

"What?!" the Doctor asked incredulously. This was like Donna's appearance all over again.

 

Jamie ran toward it and when he tried to touch the Ood's hand, his went right through. It seemed to be only a projection or vision of some kind.

 

"It is time, Doctor. The Ood have an important message for you. You must come," the alien announced, then disappeared.

 

"We'll see about that," he mumbled to himself as he threw the switches to take the TARDIS anywhere else. The words that had been following echoed through his mind. The Ood telling him his song was ending, Carmen's words and the warnings of someone knocking four times, all of it haunting him. He shook his head to banish the thoughts and plastered a smile on his face as he danced around the console to take them somewhere fun.

 


	11. Fear

Chapter Eleven - Fear

 

They were running again. Rose knew it. She could tell from his need to keep moving from one place to the next. Everything was safe little educational trips again and Jamie was seven years old now. They'd have to get back to their regular life of saving the universe and preserving timelines, as Jamie was destined to do, soon. 

 

But she could tell the Doctor was afraid. The prophesy from Carmen so long ago, and the message calling him to visit the Ood, both had him very worried.

 

"What is it, love? What is it about these warnings that has you so scared?" Rose finally asked him when they were lying in bed one night.

 

"I knew there was no fooling you, Rose Tyler. Even Jamie can feel the timelines stretching around this. I've been told my song is ending. I suppose it could just mean regenerating again, but I don't want to die, Rose," the Doctor responded, his voice growing tight as he allowed his fear to show.

 

"We'll be here for you, you know that. You aren't doubting that I'll still love you? You know that could never happen, yeah? You're still you, I know that," she said, trying to reassure him.

 

"It still feels like dying. It hurts and who I am dies. Some new man takes over and walks away; who I am now, is gone forever," he said sadly.

 

Rose hugged him tightly then, needing to give him comfort for what was coming.

 

"I thought... when you were lost, Donna and I went to a planet called The Library. While we were there, we met a woman called River Song. And she knew me, though I had never met her before. She died. She died to save thousands of people that were trapped in the computer core. I was going to hook myself into the computer to save them, but she knocked me out, handcuffed me so that I couldn't stop her and took my place," he told her and paused as he considered how to explain the rest.

 

"She knew my name, Rose," he said quietly.

 

Rose gasped. Then she blinked at him.

 

"Not... well, she whispered in my ear... You know that a part of Jamie's Gallifreyan name that we keep a secret, is the same as a part of mine? Part of our parents' names are pieces of our name, like your parents are Tylers and so are you. She whispered that part of my name. You were gone, with no hope of coming back. I presumed that it must mean that I would marry her some time in my future and her past, but now that we have Jamie and could have more children, that most likely isn't what her knowing that means," the Doctor explained.

 

"So, that girl, Jenny, that you told me about. Your daughter that died. If she were still alive, she'd share that part of your name too,  yeah ?" Rose asked, not sure how all of this was relevant to his current fears, but always happy when he opened up with her.

 

"Yeah, she would. But the reason I'm telling you this is important. If her knowing my name isn't dependent on my survival, then, it's possible that the message about my song ending is more than just regenerating," he said sadly.

 

"Don't say that, love! You said she knew you, not just your name, but YOU. Don't discount that. And we don't know how long I'm going to live, just because I don't seem to be aging normally right now, doesn't mean I'm immortal or would regenerate like you. You might remarry when I'm gone," she told him, trying to reassure him that he would live, even if the idea of him with someone else was painful.

 

He hugged her even tighter then and kissed her hair. "The other reason I'm telling you, is that if I don't survive, it's crucial that you know about her importance, but we shouldn't tell Jamie about her death. If she turns out to be his sibling or his child or spouse, it would be painful to know that was coming for so long," he finished his explanation.

 

"Alright. I know about it now, and I won't tell Jamie anything. But you are going to survive. You might regenerate soon, and I will be heartbroken to lose another version of you. I'll miss this you just as much as I miss the last you, but I will love every version of you, Doctor, no matter what," she reassured him and moved to kiss him deeply.

 

There were silent tears on both of their cheeks as they embraced and offered each other consolation. They both knew it was time to face their fears and answer the call of the Ood from two years ago. But for tonight, they would revel in each other.

 

Rose sat up a moment to lift her nightgown over her head and the Doctor spent that time removing his pyjama bottoms as he watched her. Their lips crashed together and their legs entangled in a dance that was very familiar to them both.

 

His hands roamed her curves, as if it might be the last chance for him to ever feel her. Rose's hands tangled in his hair and scraped his back as she rolled beneath him. He took advantage of the position she allowed him and moved to kiss every inch of her perfect skin.

 

His lips travelled across her jaw to her ear, and down her neck to her clavicle. The Doctor took his time mapping the flesh of her breasts with his tongue and thrust into her when she squirmed impatiently. He kept his pace slow and gentle, just enjoying the pleasure that hummed through their link. He joined their minds together tightly, as he always did when they made love, and whispered sweet phrases in Gallifreyan into her mind. Words of love and devotion that she wouldn't understand but felt the meanings from him nonetheless.

 

They stayed suspended in their blissful actions for what felt like forever, yet never long enough, before they both needed to drive toward the end. Rose wrapped her legs around his waist and the Doctor began thrusting harder and faster, angling his hips so that he hit her body in just the right place every time.

 

Rose began murmuring filth and nonsense as her pleasure grew to the breaking point. With a few more mighty thrusts, they both fell and Rose's body clenched around him rhythmically as she drifted back to reality. Within moments, they were both floating to sleep in each other's arms.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Rose was standing in a field of red grass that stood almost to her waist. The sky was orange and there were two suns in the sky. Pink clouds swirled around the distant mountain tops and she could hear a soft tinkling sound. Turning to look behind her, Rose saw that the leaves on the trees were silver and shone brightly in the sunlight.

 

Under a nearby tree, stood an older woman with dark red hair, wearing long red robes that had golden embroidery and a high collar. Her hands were clasped in front of her and she approached Rose with a soft smile.

 

“He has chosen well, you are lovely indeed, Rose Tyler,” the woman said to her.

 

“Who are you?” Rose asked the strangely dressed woman. She thought she must be on Gallifrey. The details fit with the few descriptions her husband had given of his home world.

 

“Events are moving quickly. My son will need to act now or all will be lost. He will need your help during the confrontation, you will need to break the connection,” she told Rose.

 

“Are you the Doctor's mother?” Rose asked from her reference to her son.

 

“You mustn't tell him about this, but remember that _you_ must break the connection, Rose. And thank you,” she said finally, not answering Rose's question. The wind picked up all of a sudden and the woman disappeared in a swirl of silver leaves blowing through the trees.

 

With a final breath of the fragrant flowers of Gallifrey, Rose awoke in the arms of her husband. Today would be the day, and it was not going to be safe or easy.

 

 

 


	12. End of Time: Part One

Chapter Twelve – The End of Time: Part One

 

On the snowy hills of the Ood Sphere, the TARDIS materialized with its customary wheezing, groaning, and final thump. The door squeaked open and out ran a seven year old Jamie Tyler, wearing a wool sweater, striped scarf and mittens. His trainers slipped in the snow and he skidded down the hill in a tumble of long limbs until he slid to a stop and laughed.

 

“Snow! Real snow, mum!” he shouted back towards his parents who had exited the TARDIS and shut the door behind them.

 

Rose and the Doctor didn't want to worry Jamie and so, had hidden their concerns from him for this trip. They had considered having him stay in the TARDIS, but he likely wouldn't have stayed on his own for any length of time without wandering off and Rose didn't want the Doctor to be alone. So, they decided to stick together as they answered the call of the Ood.

 

Standing nearby, was an Ood familiar to the Doctor – waiting.

 

“Ah! There you are. So, where were we?” the Doctor asked as he took Rose's hand in his for support. “I was summoned, wasn't I? An Ood appearing right there inside my TARDIS. Well, we didn't exactly come straight here... lots of educational trips for my son, you know. He is really brilliant, but anyway, what do you want?”

 

“You should not have delayed,” Ood Sigma replied, his translation ball glowing white.

 

“The last time I was here, with Donna, you said my song would be ending soon, and I'm in no hurry for that,” the Doctor told him and squeezed Rose's hand.

 

“You will come with me,” Sigma stated and began to lead them away from the TARDIS.

 

“Come along, Jamie!” Rose called to their son, who was currently making snowballs. He looked up with a broad smile to match his mother's and came running up the hill to meet them.

 

“How old are you now, Ood Sigma?” the Doctor asked, but there was no reply. 

 

They stopped for a moment to gaze at a huge city that had certainly not been there the last time the Doctor visited the Ood Sphere. There were huge spiralling towers and bridges with large, white icicles hanging and sparkling in the sunlight.

 

“Wow! That's beautiful!” Jamie shouted in awe.

 

“Magnificent!” the Doctor agreed. When Ood Sigma made no reply, he elbowed him a bit and said, “Oh, come on, that is splendid. You've achieved all this in how long?”

 

“One hundred years,” Sigma replied.

 

The Doctor's face went from glee-filled awe to worry. “Then we've got a problem. Because all of this is way too fast. Not just the city, I mean your ability to call me. Reaching all the way back to the twenty-first century. Something's accelerating your species way beyond normal,” he explained.

 

“And the Mind of the Ood is troubled,” the Ood replied with a hint of sadness in his voice.

 

“Why? What's happened?” he asked urgently.

 

“Every night, Doctor, every night we have bad dreams,” Ood Sigma informed him and led the small family to a group of elders in a large ice cave.

 

The elders sat around a fire with incense and candles surrounding them. There were many Ood there, sitting in a circle, but the oldest looking of them all wore a white robe rather than the grayish green that the others had. His face was more wrinkled and his head, rather than being smooth like the others, showed the lines of a brain right through his skin.

 

“Sit with the Elder of the Ood and share the dreaming,” Ood Sigma told them.

 

The Doctor, Rose and Jamie held each other's hands as they were included within the circle of Ood. The fire was a welcome warmth and they felt safe with the Ood, however, the Doctor knew that the news they had called him to share would be troubling.

 

“So, right... hello,” the Doctor said nervously and gave a small wave. Rose and Jamie nodded silently to the group. The last time Rose had seen the Ood had not been pleasant, as they had all been possessed by the spirit of the Devil, but she had heard the story of the Doctor and Donna's visit many times. She knew that they had been abused and the compassion she first felt for them back then was renewed.

 

The Ood clasped each other's hands and chanted over and over, “You will join.”

 

With Jamie between them, Rose and the Doctor took the hands of the Ood next to them. Instantly they were faced with the image of the Master, cackling evilly in the dark. The Doctor gasped and ripped his hand from the Ood next to him in shock.

 

“He comes to us, every night. I think all the peoples of the universe dream of him now,” the Elder told him.

 

“That man is dead,” the Doctor insisted. Rose and Jamie could both feel the intensity of the fear running through him that he could no longer conceal behind his formidable mental shields.

 

“There is yet more. Join us,” the Elder told him and they joined hands again. “Events are taking shape. So many years ago, and yet changing the now. You should not have delayed, for the lines of convergence are being drawn across the Earth. Even now, the king is in his Counting house.”

 

They were shown an image of a black man in a suit and a young woman with him.

 

“I don't know who they are,” the Doctor said, but noted their appearance.

 

“And there is another. The most lonely of all, lost and forgotten,” the Ood said and showed them an image of Lucy Saxon in prison.

 

“The Master's wife,” the Doctor breathed, trying to think of what connection all of this could have to some catastrophe now.

 

From behind them, outside of the circle, Ood Sigma asked, “We see so much, but understand little. The woman in the cage, who is she?”

 

“She was... it wasn't her fault, she was...” he stumbled over his explanation because there was just too much to explain and not enough time. “The Master, he's a Time Lord, like me. I can show you,” he decided and shut his eyes to share the story telepathically.

 

As images of the events passed through all of their minds, the Doctor explained, “The Master took the name of Saxon. He married a human, a woman called Lucy, and he corrupted her. She stood at his side while he conquered the Earth. I reversed everything he'd done so it never even happened, but Lucy Saxon remembered. I held him in my arms as he died. I burned his body. The Master is dead.”

 

“And yet, you did not see,” the Elder informed him as he showed images from after the Doctor had set alight the pyre for the Master.

 

“What's that?” the Doctor wondered as he watched images of a woman retrieving a signet ring from the ashes. With sudden realization, the Doctor snaps, “Part of him survived. I have to go!” The Doctor began to pull away from the circle, but they stopped him.

 

“But something more is happening, Doctor. The Master is part of a greater design, because a shadow is falling over creation. Something vast is stirring in the dark. The Ood have gained this power to see through time, because time is bleeding. Shapes of things once lost are moving through the veil, and these events from years ago threaten to destroy this future, and the present, and the past,” the Elder warned as all of the Ood's eyes began to glow bright red.

 

“What do you mean?” the Doctor asked fearfully.

 

“This is what we have seen, Doctor. The darkness heralds only one thing. The end of time itself,” the Ood told them ominously.

 

That was enough. The Doctor picked up Jamie and threw him over his shoulder, piggy back, as he took Rose's hand and they began to run back to the TARDIS as fast as their legs would carry them.

 

When they reached the TARDIS, the Doctor slammed the doors behind them and threw the time machine into the Vortex before stopping to catch his breath and make a plan with his family. Rose and Jamie sat on the jump seat, looking to him for some idea of what they would do.

 

“The last time I faced the Master, he stole the TARDIS. This is not going to be a safe place to hide. Jamie, we're going to have you stay with your grandmother. I know you want to come with us, but the Master is dangerous and if he even knew you existed...” the Doctor paused as his throat closed in agony.

 

“As much as I want to send you to safety as well, Rose, I sincerely doubt you'll let me,” he said regretfully.

 

“You've got that bloody right,” she replied.

 

“Therefore, the last thing I want is for you to be wandering around on your own without me. I want you right by my side. But, he knows about you. He won't know your face, but he knows about the incidents surrounding the Bad Wolf and he knows that we're married. However, as far as he knows, you are still trapped in another universe. Under no circumstances are we to use your name or let him know that you are my wife. What he would do to you, Rose, just for the sake of hurting me, I don't even want to imagine,” the Doctor told them as he closed his eyes, trying to keep fearful tears at bay.

 

“What if something happens though and I need to reach you?” Jamie asked, terribly frightened to be left behind.

 

“I'm going to get uncle Jack to give you his Vortex Manipulator. You know how to program it and you can use it to get away or get closer to us, should you need to. Alright?” Rose suggested. Jamie nodded and hugged his mother tightly.

 

“That's a good idea. Should he find out about you, I want you to be able to run and hide. If Lucy Saxon is involved in resurrecting the Master, then our best bet is to search in London. Now, even though we can all speak to each other telepathically, I don't want any of us to do that with the Master around. He'll be able to sense our bonds to each other then, but you can call your mother's mobile. That's about as much of a plan as we can make until we find out more,” the Doctor said and wrapped his arms around both of them.

 

Rose called Jack to inform him that they needed him to meet them at Jackie's with his Vortex Manipulator. As much as he wanted to help, Rose insisted that she wanted him nearby to protect Jamie, if needed. If anything were to happen to them, Jack was the only one who could care for someone as long-lived as Jamie.

 

The Doctor piloted them to the Tyler's flat and with many hugs and tears, Jamie was left with his grandparents and uncle Jack.

 

Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor searched for where Lucy Saxon had been sequestered and set their course for Broadfell Prison. When they arrived however, they discovered that the building was in ruins. Apparently, it had exploded just the night before.

 

“He's here... he's back. I can feel him,” the Doctor said to Rose, tapping his temple.

 

“I think... I think I can too. I'm not sure, I just feel something... wrong,” Rose said as her brow furrowed in concentration.

 

The Doctor looked at her in shock. If she could sense him with whatever telepathy she had, would he be able to feel her? He quickly took her head in his hands and placed his fingers on her temples. “I'm going to try to set up a block, a shield around your mind. It won't cut off your bonds to me and Jamie, but I hope I can keep the Master from sensing your telepathy, love,” he told her as he did his best to barricade her mind from the strong telepathic capabilities of his old enemy.

 

With a passionate kiss, he finished his work and took her hand leading her in the direction of the man they needed to stop before he began his next scheme to take over the universe. They found themselves on some sort of construction site and climbed to the top of a pile of rocks to get a better view.

 

“I can smell him. Like... Time Lord, but wrong. Something went wrong with his resurrection. He's burning up his life force,” the Doctor whispered to Rose as he sniffed the air and gazed over the construction site.

 

Suddenly, they heard a banging sound of metal on metal. Four strikes. The Doctor tried to figure out where the sound was coming from, but the echoes made it difficult to tell. Another four bangs sounded and the Doctor squeezed Rose's hand tightly as he looked around for the right direction. Once more, the sound came, this time faster and the Doctor began to run.

 

Never releasing each other's grip, the Doctor and Rose ran through the construction site. Over piles of steel girders and mountains of gravel, chasing the smell of the insane Time Lord and the tingle in the Doctor's mind. Finally, they saw him, standing on a nearby hill. Wearing black jeans and a black hoodie, he stared down the Doctor for a moment before screaming and leaping into the air to an unimaginable height.

 

They ran after him once again, in an attempt to catch up. When the Master finally stopped running away and turned to face them, his face suddenly flashed with the skeleton beneath his skin glowing through eerily.

 

“Please, let me help,” the Doctor shouted and the Master looked at him disappointedly. “You're burning up your own life force!”

 

The Master shook his head and laughed as he jumped over the edge of a huge pile of metal beams. By the time they climbed up to look over, he was gone. They both sat down with a heavy sigh.

 

“We'll find him, love,” Rose said reassuringly.

 

“Yeah,” he replied softly.

 

“That banging noise... always in four, was that the knocking four times, do you think?” Rose asked.

 

“Possibly. The Master has always said that he heard drums in his head. Ever since initiation. When Time Lords turned eight years old, we were taken to the Untempered Schism. It was a gap in the fabric of reality, where we could look into the Time Vortex. Looking into it unlocks more of our abilities so that we can attend the Academy. Before we do that, we can't regenerate,” the Doctor told her.

 

“Does that mean that Jamie won't be able to regenerate? Because he can't go to Gallifrey now, can he?” Rose asked.

 

“The TARDIS has been preparing a room. We travel through the Vortex, she can certainly open a gap to it for him to gaze into its terrifying depths. I've been putting it off though. He isn't eight yet, but that was always a bit of an arbitrary number. The thing is, it hurts. That was when the Master's drums started in his head. You see, some would be inspired, some would run away and some would go mad when they took in the impossible,” he explained.

 

“Knowing you the way I do, I'm willing to bet that's where you started running,” she teased and bumped his shoulder with her own.

 

He gave her a small smile and nodded. “I can't keep putting it off forever. Jamie will be safer once his regenerations are unlocked. I wanted to see it. I wanted to see him become a man and now... I'm going to die,” he said as he looked out over the horizon and the tension in his voice rose again.

 

Rose wrapped an arm around him and leaned on his shoulder. She projected feelings of love and support as she told him, “Don't start that again. It's not like you to be defeated so easily. You WILL see him grow up, love. You're not leaving me yet. Let's go get some chips and then we'll look for him again, yeah?”

 

“Yeah,” he agreed and tried to shake off his melancholy mood, if only for the sake of his wife.

 

Later, as the sky grew darker, they searched the construction site again. As they approached where the Master was hiding, the Doctor told Rose quietly, “Stay close to me, but behind me. It'll be easier for me to block whatever he's doing that way and I'm still blocking your telepathic signature too.”

 

“Yeah, just be careful,” Rose said and followed him a few steps behind as the Doctor rounded the corner to face off against the Master.

 

The Master was crouched near the ground when he looked up at his old friend. He stood and flexed his hands, sparks suddenly glowing around his fingertips. His skull flashed again as he shot a bolt of energy just past the Doctor to start a fire nearby. When the Doctor kept walking without flinching, the Master did it again on the other side. Still the Doctor advanced on him and the Master rubbed his hands together, as building up a bigger charge before pointing both of his hands at the Doctor and a larger bolt of energy struck him right in the chest.

 

“Doctor!” Rose cried, but her husband just braced himself and kept walking.

 

When the Master stopped firing the energy at him, the Doctor suddenly gasped and fell to his knees. Rose immediately ran to his side to be sure he was alright and the Master turned and paced nearby.

 

“Always a little human companion to follow you around,” he said derisively. 

 

Rose rubbed the Doctor's shoulders as she glowered at the Master. The Doctor was gasping on the ground as he recovered from the attack.

 

Crouching in front of the Doctor, he ignored Rose and said, “I had estates. Do you remember my father's land back home? Pastures of red grass, stretching far across the slopes of Mount Perdition. We used to run across those fields all day, calling up at the sky. Look at us now.”

 

“All that eloquence. But how many people have you killed?” the Doctor accused.

 

“I am so hungry,” the Master said angrily.

 

“Your resurrection went wrong. That energy, your body's ripped open. Now you're killing yourself,” the Doctor told him as he struggled to sit up with Rose's help.

 

“That's human Christmas out there. They eat so much. All that roasting meat, cakes and red wine. Hot, fat, blood, food. Pots, plates of meat, and flesh, and grease, and juice, and baking, burnt, sticky, hot skin. Hot.... it's so hot,” the Master rambled as he sneered at them.

 

“Stop it,” the Doctor demanded.

 

“Slice. Slice. Slice...” the Master continued as he rocked where he sat in front of the Doctor on the ground.

 

“Stop it,” he repeated.

 

“It's mine... it's mine... to eat and eat and eat and eat,” he repeated until he curled in on himself.

 

“Stop it! What if I ask you for help?” the Doctor questioned him and the Master looked up at him in disbelief. “There's more at work tonight than you and me.”

 

“Oh yeah?” the Master said with an amused glance and a chuckle.

 

“I've been told something is returning,” the Doctor told him.

 

“And here I am,” the Master replied with a slight bow.

 

“No. Something more,” he insisted.

 

“But it hurts,” the Master said, ignoring the Doctor.

 

“I was told the end of time,” the Doctor pressed.

 

“It hurts. Doctor, the noise,” he said as he clutched his skull in pain. Rose watched the insane Time Lord as he suffered and despite how dangerous she knew he was, she understood her husband's desire to help him; to heal him.

 

“The noise in my head, Doctor. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. Stronger than ever before. Can't you hear it?” the Master insisted as he pounded against his own skull with the rhythm he counted.

 

“I'm sorry,” the Doctor replied and clutched Rose's hand tightly. He was careful not to let their bracelets show from beneath their coat sleeves in front of the Master.

 

“Listen, listen, listen, listen. Every minute, every second, every beat of my hearts. There it is... calling to me. Please, listen,” the Master insisted as he leaned in closer to the Doctor imploringly.

 

“I can't hear it,” the Doctor whispered his reply.

 

“ _Listen,_ ” the Master whispered insistently again as he took hold of the Doctor's head and pressed their foreheads together. Suddenly both the Doctor and Rose could hear the beats in their heads and the Doctor pulled away quickly.

 

“What?” the Master asked curiously.

 

“I...” the Doctor began and looked at the Master in frightened confusion.

 

“What?” he asked again.

 

“I... I heard it,” the Doctor admitted and the Master stood and started to turn and pace again as the Doctor and Rose looked at him in horror. “But there's no noise. There never has been. It's just your insanity,” the Doctor denied. “What is it? What's inside your head?”

 

“It's real... it's real... IT'S REAL!!” the Master laughed and shouted, and then turned and leapt into the air again.

 

The Doctor and Rose were on their feet in an instant to chase after him. He stood atop a small hill of rocks as if he were playing King of the Castle.

 

“All these years, you thought I was mad. King of the Wasteland. But something is calling me, Doctor. What is it? What is it?” the Master shouted and suddenly a bright spotlight shone over him.

 

They heard a helicopter then and a second light illuminated the Doctor and Rose. The couple watched as several men, dressed in black military uniforms dropped down on ropes right next to the Master. They grabbed him suddenly and shot a syringe of some kind of blue liquid into his neck. He fell unconscious as the Doctor shouted, “Don't!”

 

They ran towards where they were pulling the Master up the ropes towards the helicopter. The surrounding forces fired their guns at the ground near them to keep them at bay. The Doctor pulled Rose up against him, willing to take any stray bullets to protect her, but they were suddenly both struck by tranquilizers and fell to the ground unconscious.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Rose was back in the field. She opened her eyes and she was lying beneath one of the silver leafed trees, her head in the lap of the woman she had seen the last time she dreamt of this place.

 

“There now, it'll be alright,” the woman said reassuringly as Rose sat up.

 

“How are you doing this? Contacting me this way?” Rose asked her.

 

“Events are moving, Rose. Faster than we thought,” she said worriedly.

 

“Can you tell me what's coming? The Doctor is so scared and I don't know what to do,” Rose pleaded for more information.

 

“You can tell him nothing of this. Just know that you can save the life of your husband. Go for more than the bronze this time and break the connection when it is time,” she responded enigmatically. “And love him, Rose.”

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Rose gasped as her eyes shot open. Her husband was leaning over her and stroking her hair, his face creased with worry. When he saw her eyes clear and meet his gaze, the Doctor immediately scooped her into his arms and clutched her against his chest. She could see that they were still on the ground where the Master had been abducted by the men from the helicopter.

 

“Oh, my love! I was so worried,” he said as he kissed the side of her face and held her as if she might fly away if he let go for an instant. “Back to the TARDIS. I need to make sure there aren't any aftereffects.”

 

Rose began to push herself up, but found herself suddenly being carried, bridal style back towards their time ship. “Doctor, I can walk. You don't need to carry me all that way,” Rose protested.

 

“Maybe, but I want to, my love,” he choked out and proceeded to walk briskly back to the relative safety of their home.

 

Once the Doctor had scanned her thoroughly and established that the tranquilizers were out of her system, they returned to the console room.

 

“He's still on Earth, I can smell him, but he's too far away,” the Doctor told her despairingly.

 

“What about those other people the Ood showed us? That black man and woman. Could we use, I dunno, some facial recognition to look for them? They must be connected,” Rose suggested.

 

“Rose, you're brilliant. I can't put his face into the system from my memory, but if I can narrow down the possibilities, then I can bring up a list of faces to look through myself,” he rambled as he began typing frantically on the keyboard. 

 

“Ok, London area. Rich enough to have access to a helicopter and private security officers. Black skin. Narrows down the list,” he mumbled and visually scanned through the faces that came up. “There! Joshua Naismith!” he shouted and pointed at the monitor.

 

Rose looked at the screen over his shoulder and said, “That's him alright. Do you think he kidnapped the Master then? Why would he do that?”

 

“I dunno. But we're going to find out. Hold on,” he said as he piloted the ship to the Naismith mansion. They materialized in the stables and exited carefully.

 

“Will the Master know you're here?” Rose asked him.

 

“Yes, but I doubt he'll tell his captors. Hang on,” he said as he turned back to the TARDIS and activated his sonic. “Putting her a second out of sync. Don't want the Master finding the TARDIS this time. That's the last thing we need,” he told her and took her hand.

 

They dodged the black uniformed patrols as they made their way to a small door that led to the basement. They could see the edge of a large alien device glowing green and the Doctor examined it briefly before addressing the woman working on a computer nearby. She was babbling to someone through a communication system when they poked their heads into the room.

 

“Nice gate!” the Doctor complimented.

 

“Hello,” Rose said with a small wave.

 

The woman looked up at them worriedly.

 

“Don't try calling security, or I'll tell them you're wearing a Shimmer,” the Doctor warned as he strolled into the room with his hands in his pockets. Rose followed, trying to look similarly calm.

 

“Because I reckon anyone wearing a Shimmer doesn't want the Shimmer to be noticed, or they wouldn't need a Shimmer in the first place,” the Doctor added.

 

“I'm sorry? What's a Shimmer?” the woman asked in feigned innocence.

 

The Doctor pointed his sonic at her and activated it, which deactivated her Shimmer and her skin turned green with a variety of spikes over her head. “Shimmer!” he exclaimed knowingly.

 

“Ooh, cactus people?” Rose asked.

 

“Now, that's not nice, Rose,” the Doctor chastised as he moved to examine the computer system nearby. 

 

The symbols on the screens began to line up and lock into place. Lights alternated red and green, it was really quite seasonal, considering it was Christmas Day.

 

“He's got it working, but what is it? What's working?” the Doctor asked as he ran from one system to another, searching for any signs as to the functions of this machine.

 

“What are you doing here?” asked a man that had just entered the basement area.

 

Without even turning to look, the Doctor pointed his sonic at the new man and activated it with a proclamation of, “Shimmer!” The man's skin turned green to match the woman's and he sighed as he realized they had been discovered.

 

“Now, tell me quickly, what's going on? The Master, Harold Saxon...” the Doctor insisted and time ticked by with no immediate response. “Skeletor! Whatever you're calling him, what's he doing up there?”

 

The green aliens and Rose watched as the Doctor ran from one computer monitor to the next, checking everything to see what was happening.

 

“But I checked the readings. He's done good work. It's operational,” the tall, green man said.

 

“Who are you, though? I met someone like you. He was brilliant, but he was little and red,” the Doctor asked.

 

“No, that's a Zocci,” the green woman sneered.

 

“We're not Zocci, we're Vinvocci. Completely different,” the man argued.

 

“And the Gate is Hippocci. We're a salvage team. We picked up the signal when the humans reactivated it. And as soon as it's working, we can transport it to the ship,” the woman explained.

 

“But what does it do?” the Doctor asked.

 

“Well, it mends. It's as simple as that. It's a medical device to repair the body. It makes people better,” the green man replied honestly.

 

“No, there's got to be more. Every single warning says the Master's going to do something colossal,” the Doctor told them denying any safe intentions with the Master at work.

 

“But Doctor, if it's just for fixing people up, I mean, you've got lots of stuff that does that in the TARDIS... why's this thing so big?” Rose asked.

 

“Ooh, brilliant question, love. Why's it so big?” the Doctor asked the Vinvocci.

 

With a roll of her eyes, the woman said, “It doesn't just mend one person at a time.”

 

“That would be ridiculous,” the man agreed.

 

“It mends whole planets!” the woman said proudly.

 

“It does what?” the Doctor gasped as he began to see the potential nefarious applications of that kind of technology.

 

“It transmits the medical template across the entire population,” she stated and looked at him innocently wondering what could be so worrisome about some medical technology.

 

Rose knew just how dangerous medical technology could be. Some stray Nanogenes and an injured child had almost destroyed the Earth once. The Doctor grabbed her hand and in an instant, they were running up the stairs towards the main interface of the Gate.

 

They burst into the room to see the Master restrained in a straight jacket, Mr. Naismith standing near him with several technicians and security people scattered around the room.

 

“Turn the Gate off, right now!” the Doctor shouted as they ran between the Master and the Gate.

 

“At arms!” one of the security people called and guns were raised in their direction.

 

“No, no, no, no, no. Whatever you do, just don't let him near that device,” the Doctor insisted frantically.

 

“Oh, like that was ever going to happen,” the Master said amusedly. With a burst of energy, the Master threw the straight jacket away from him easily. He sneered evilly and with more energy flowing from his hands, leapt through the room to land in the middle of the Gate. “Homeless, was I? Destitute and dying? Well, look at me now.”

 

“Deactivate it! All of you, turn the whole thing off!” the Doctor ordered, but everyone just stood around staring, blinking and shaking their heads.

 

“Doctor, what's wrong with them?” Rose asked, her panic rising.

 

“He's inside my head,” Mr. Naismith said as the Master laughed maniacally from his position inside the machine.

 

“Get out of there!” the Doctor shouted as he ran towards the Master. But with another blast of energy from his hands, the Master knocked the Doctor to the floor.

 

“Doctor!” Rose shouted worriedly as she ran to his side.

 

“Is it affecting you? Can you see anything?” he asked Rose, careful to not mention her name or indicate their relationship in front of the Master.

 

“No, nothing,” she replied and the Master eyed her curiously from his position.

 

“Fifty seconds and counting,” the Master said ominously.

 

“To what?” the Doctor asked him.

 

“Oh, you're going to love this,” he said with another evil laugh.

 

Rose's mobile rang suddenly and she opened it to see it was Jamie's mobile calling. “Jamie? Are you alright?” she asked quickly.

 

“What's going on, mum? Gran and gramps are acting really weird and so is uncle Jack! Uncle Jack said something about the Master! What do I do?” Jamie cried through the phone.

 

“You run, sweetheart! You use that thing and you find somewhere to hide away from everyone. He's doing something to the people and I want you safe. Hide!” Rose told him and shoved the phone back in her pocket.

 

“What is it, hypnotism? Mind control? You're grafting your thoughts inside them, is that it?” the Doctor postulated. He was terrified for Jamie, but Rose had given him sound advice and the best way to keep him safe now was to stop whatever was happening at the source. The Doctor couldn't reveal the weakness of his son, vulnerable and alone somewhere.

 

“Oh, that's way too easy. No, no, no. They're not going to think like me, they're going to _become_ me. And, _zero!”_ the Master declared menacingly.

 

A wave of energy pulsed from the machine and everyone in the room began to change. Their faces blurred and shook for a moment before they all looked up with the Master's face. Every single human being had changed to look exactly like the Master.

 

The Doctor was unaffected and whatever changes had happened to Rose seemed to protect her as well. They could still feel Jamie, he was scared, but he was still himself. They couldn't contact him telepathically right now, but he hadn't been changed by the device either.

 

“What did you do to them?” Rose demanded.

 

“Oh, I'm sorry, are you talking to me?” the Master responded.

 

“Or to me?” another Master behind her asked.

 

“Or to me?” a Master in a pink dress asked then.

 

“Or to us?” two Masters wearing the black security uniforms asked as they lifted the visors on their helmets.

 

“The human race was always your favourite, Doctor. But now, there is no human race. There is only the Master race!” the Master declared with another laugh and the Doctor clasped Rose's hand tightly. He wanted to take her in his arms and run far away from here with their son, but he had to find a way to undo this.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Jamie sat on the couch in the Tyler's living room, flicking through some of the controls on the Vortex Manipulator strapped to his wrist. His gran had been ranting about his parents from the moment they had dropped him off.

 

“I mean, really. It's Christmas Day! Can't they just leave it alone for one holiday and stay here for a while?” Jackie ranted as she fussed with the food she was preparing in the kitchen.

 

“They said something dangerous was going to happen. You know they wouldn't have left Jamie here with us if it weren't serious,” Jack defended his friends.

 

“Gran, the time lines are pulling tighter than ever. Whatever is going to happen, it's happening soon,” Jamie told her. Not that she would understand or even try to.

 

“Well, put on the telly then, there was supposed to be some big announcement from President Obama,” Jackie ordered.

 

Pulling his sonic screwdriver from his pocket rather than taking the proper remote, he turned on the television and slouched back next to his uncle on the couch. They watched for a few minutes as they prepared for the beginning of the speech, but suddenly the people on the screen began to behave strangely.

 

Jamie looked at his grandmother and uncle to see them blinking rapidly and looking confused as well. Jack's face turned to one of horror as he gasped, “The Master?! They didn't tell me it was the Master!”

 

Jamie moved away from them and called his mother's mobile. She told him to run and hide; that the Master was doing something to everyone and he needed to hide himself away to be safe. He programmed the Vortex Manipulator for London, so he would be closer to his parents and pressed the button.

 

The landing was rough, but Jamie knew it would be. Gasping and clutching his stomach as he fought off the nausea, he looked around to see everyone's faces blurring and shaking as they all transformed into the image of the man the Ood had shown them. The man his father had called the Master.

 

Knowing that it would be extremely bad if he were caught, Jamie ran into an alley before he was seen. He tried to run a scan on the Vortex Manipulator for some kind of empty storage room or somewhere he could hide, but the device was completely burnt out. Jamie groaned in frustration, since this meant that he couldn't use it to escape again. He was now completely on foot, but at least he was in the same area as his parents and the TARDIS.

 

For the time being, the alley was empty, so he crouched against the wall between some large bins and silently cried as he waited for a chance to get away... or his parents fixed everything. He had heard the stories about how they had saved the universe plenty of times. He knew they could save everyone now, it was just a matter of time.

 


	13. End of Time: Part Two

Chapter Thirteen – The End of Time: Part Two

 

The Master strapped the Doctor onto some kind of trolley. His arms and legs were bound and his mouth was covered as he looked over at Rose. She was tied up as well, with rope, to a nearby chair. Rose glared at the Master angrily, but didn't say anything, for now. The Doctor knew that wouldn't last long. His wife never failed to speak her mind when push came to shove.

 

“Now then, I've got a planet to run,” the Master said to the Doctor in satisfaction as he moved to activate some sort of huge video conference call. He chatted with various versions of himself around the world. Gloating over the control he had over all of the world's military resources.

 

“Enough soldiers and weapons to turn this planet into a warship. Nothing to say, Doctor? What's that? Pardon?” he teased as the Doctor glared at him, not even trying to wrestle with the gag over his mouth.

 

“You let him go, you monster, or so help me...” Rose growled at the Master.

 

“Or you'll what?” he sneered at her. “She is a feisty one, Doctor. You've always got to have your little pets around, don't you? Not sure how she avoided changing with the others. Is she not human? I could do some experiments to find out.”

 

Rose glared at him as he approached her and ordered, “Hush now. Listen to your Master.”

 

Rose's mobile rang again from her pocket and the Doctor's eyes met hers fearfully. She swallowed the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat and tried to hide her terror as the Master halted his footsteps away from her at the sound.

 

“But... that's a mobile,” the Master said curiously and turned back towards Rose.

 

Rose didn't say anything, just stared at a spot on the carpet and tried to hold herself together.

 

“Everybody on this planet is me, and I'm not phoning you, so who the _hell_ is that?” he demanded to know as he charged back over to Rose's side. She stayed silent as he reached into her pocket and found her mobile. Looking at the call display, he said, “Jamie? Who's Jamie?”

 

Rose began to tremble slightly as he turned on the speakerphone and held it near her to listen. “Mum! Where are you? I'm so scared, mum. Everyone looks like that man...” Jamie cried over the phone.

 

Rose cut him off before he revealed too much, “Jamie, just hide, sweetheart. We'll think of something, you just stay far away from everyone and hide until it's safe.”

 

“Who is he? Why didn't he change? Why didn't you change?” the Master demanded to know.

 

“Shut off your phone, love, so they can't trace you and hide! Run, Jamie!” Rose shouted and tears started to fall from her eyes.

 

The Master scowled in frustration and threw Rose's mobile across the room. He stormed over to the Doctor's side and ripped the gag open. “Who is that child?” he asked angrily.

 

“Like I'd tell you,” the Doctor replied.

 

“Well, let's take in all the available information shall we? Jamie, called this young woman, mum. Now, I can't imagine that you'd be bringing families around with you... you've always been drawn to the danger and the adventure. Not exactly responsible parenting, young lady,” the Master said as he circled Rose like a vulture.

 

“But... you do seem rather protective of our friend, the Doctor, don't you? I wonder...” the Master said as he grabbed Rose's hands where they were tied together to shove her sleeve further up her arm. There he found her gleaming marriage bracelet around her left arm and began to chuckle.

 

“Oh... oh, this is too perfect!” the Master shouted and laughed as he danced back to the Doctor's side. “Did your little mongrel wife manage to make it back to your side? Oh, ho ho! The things I could do to your precious Bad Wolf.”

 

“Don't you dare touch her,” the Doctor snarled at him.

 

“You two do love to make demands, don't you? You are in no position to demand anything. I've taken over the entire human race, I have your darling wife, I'll find that disgusting mutt of an offspring you created, and I have you right where I want you, _Doctor_ ,” the Master stated, assured of his victory.

 

“And how could I resist the opportunity to see just what the Bad Wolf has to offer?” the Master sneered as he ran behind Rose and put his hands on her shoulders. The Doctor glared at him, the Oncoming Storm raging in his dark eyes. “Ooh hoo hoo! That's got him riled up, now doesn't it?” the Master laughed and leaned around to look at Rose's face.

 

Rose had taken enough from this madman and spit in his face angrily. At that, the Master stood to his full height over her. All traces of teasing gone, she saw the true depth of evil in his gaze. In a flash, he backhanded her across the face and Rose's chair fell backward to the floor. Her head hit the tiles with a sickening thud and Rose fell unconscious.

 

“Rose!! No! You fucking bastard!,” the Doctor screamed as he pulled uselessly against his restraints.

 

“There we are. So that's how to bring the anger to the surface. I enslaved the entire world for a year, I've turned all of humanity into myself and you just sat there. But harm one hair on your wife's head and it seems all bets are off,” the Master said thoughtfully.

 

“Just stop this! You don't need to do this! Stop all this destruction and I can help you,” the Doctor shouted.

 

“Give up dominating the universe? Would it stop, then? The noise in my head?” the Master asked, doubting that anything would quench the need to answer the drums.

 

“I can help,” the Doctor insisted, anything to turn him away from all of this pain and destruction.

 

“I don't know what I'd be without that noise,” the Master admitted softly. “Listen to it. Listen,” he whispered as he closed his eyes and tipped his head back, revelling in the sound that only he could hear.

 

“Then let's find it. You and me,” the Doctor suggested.

 

“Except. Oh... oh, wait a minute. Oh, yes. Oh, that's good,” the Master mused as a new plan emerged.

 

“What? What is?” the Doctor asked, always worried when his old friend was that happy about anything.

 

“The noise exists within my head, and now within six billion heads. Everyone on Earth can hear it. Imagine. Oh... oh, yes!” the Master raved and began to laugh loudly. His laughter was cut off painfully as his skull glowed through his skin again and he curled up in pain.

 

“The Gate wasn't enough. You're still dying,” the Doctor told him.

 

“This body was born out of death. All it can do is die. But what did you say to me, back in the wasteland? You said the end of time,” the Master replied.

 

“I said something is returning. I was shown a prophecy. That's why I need your help,” the Doctor insisted.

 

“What if I'm part of it? Don't you see? The drumbeat is calling from so far away. From the end of time itself. And now it's been amplified six billion times. Triangulate all those signals and I could find its source. Oh, Doctor. That's what your prophecy was... me!” the Master told him, growing more excited by the minute.

 

He ran to the Doctor and leaned close to his face whispering, “Where is your TARDIS?”

 

“No. Just stop. Just think. You can stop this now, Master,” the Doctor pleaded.

 

“Kill her,” the Master ordered one of the guards, who marched over to where Rose lay unconscious on the floor. The Doctor grit his teeth fiercely as he looked at his wife on the floor.

 

“I need that technology, Doctor. Tell me where it is or I will kill your wife, now,” the Master threatened as he stood over her body angrily.

 

The Doctor's voice stayed tense and angry as he slowly revealed the truth, “After all this time, do you know what the most impressive thing of all is?”

 

“I'll kill her! Take aim,” the Master ordered and the soldier prepared to shoot Rose where she lay.

 

“You've got six billion pairs of eyes, but you still can't see the obvious, can you?” the Doctor sneered at him.

 

“Like what?” the Master asked derisively.

 

“That guard... is one inch too tall,” the Doctor informed him. The Master turned toward the guard in surprise, only to meet the butt end of a rifle that smashed into his face. The Master crumpled to the floor.

 

The guard removed the dark helmet and the Vinvocci man said nervously, “Oh my god, I hit him! I've never hit anyone in my life.”

 

The Vinvocci woman ran into the room and began to release the Doctor's arms as the man untied Rose from the chair. Only the Doctor's arms were free when the man placed the unconscious Rose against him and the woman started to wheel the trolley he was still attached to out of the room shouting, “Well, come on! We need to get out of here fast.”

 

“No, no, no... get me off of this thing! Don't! No, no, no,” the Doctor protested as he clasped Rose tightly against himself, so she wouldn't fall off.

 

They reached the hallway and the man asked, “Which way?”

 

“This way,” the woman told him as she pushed the cart towards the stairs.

 

“No, no, no, no, no! The other way. I've got my TARDIS!” the Doctor shouted as he clutched his wife even tighter.

 

“I know what I'm doing,” she argued.

 

“Not the stairs! Not the the stairs!” the Doctor demanded frantically. His head was still strapped to the trolley, as were his legs. He could only use his arms to hold Rose in place, which was incredibly difficult because the trolley bounced and twisted all over the place. The Doctor was terrified that he would drop his unconscious love down the marble staircase and injure her further. He just wanted to get them all safely into the TARDIS where he could get away from the Master, find his son and take care of his wife in the infirmary. 

 

“Worst rescue ever!!” he shouted indignantly when they finally reached the bottom of the stairs, Rose still safely in his arms. The violent jostling had begun to rouse her, but she was just mumbling a bit when they reached the room beneath the Gate where they had first met the green aliens.

 

One of the Masters appeared in the doorway with several of the armed guards and announced, “Gotcha!”

 

“You think so?” the green woman asked cheekily as she powered up their transmat.

 

“No, no, no, no, don't!” the Doctor protested just before they all disappeared from the basement and materialized on the Vinvocci ship. “Now get me out of this thing!” he shouted angrily.

 

“Don't say thanks, will you?” the woman snarked at him.

 

“He's not going to let us go. Just hurry up and get me out!” the Doctor demanded impatiently.

 

Rose continued to come around, staggering away from the Doctor and the two Vinvocci as she rubbed the back of her head. When the Doctor was finally free of the straps holding him to the trolley, he jumped to the transmat controls with his sonic and the system began to spark dangerously.

 

“Where's your flight deck?” the Doctor asked the green woman who was currently glaring at him.

 

“But we're safe! We're a hundred thousand miles above the Earth,” she told him assuredly.

 

“And he's got every single missile on the planet ready to fire,” he enunciated clearly in her face to be sure she understood why he was so worried.

 

Her eyes popped open wide and she admitted, “Good point.”

 

The Doctor grabbed the hand of his still slightly groggy wife and pulled her along with them as he followed the Vinvocci to the flight deck. Rose stumbled after him and knew that the situation had to be serious if he wasn't fussing over her at the moment. She was glad to be away from the Master, though, however that had happened.

 

When they arrived in the control room of the ship, the Doctor shouted, “We've got to close it down! He'll be able to track us all powered up.”

 

“No chance, mate. We're going home!” the tall, green man informed him as he started preparing their ship to leave orbit.

 

“We're just a salvage team. Local politics has got nothing to do with us. Not unless there's a carnival. Sooner we get back to Vinvocci space the better,” the woman insisted as she aided her compatriot.

 

“We're NOT leaving,” the Doctor said as he sonicked the main controls and the whole ship powered down. The aliens were about to start shouting at him, but he shushed them, waiting to see if an attack was coming.

 

After several minutes of silence, the woman sighed angrily, “No sign of any missiles... No sign of anything. You've wrecked the place!”

 

“The engines are burnt out. All we've got is auxiliary lights. Everything else is kaput. We can't move. We're stuck in orbit,” the man complained.

 

“Thanks to you. You _idiot!_ ” she shouted at the Doctor and left the room.

 

The Doctor wrapped Rose in his arms and rubbed her head. Feeling for any damage as he held her, though he was sure that her increased healing abilities were already at work on mending her. He knew he should pull back to check her for signs of concussion, but he couldn't bare to let go of her just yet.

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

Jamie had been hiding in the abandoned warehouse for hours. He panicked for a little while when he felt his mother fall unconscious and his father's feelings turned to rage. Shortly after that, they suddenly moved very far away, probably in orbit rather than on Earth. They seemed to be less upset now, but were still very far away.

 

He wasn't sure if it would be safe to contact them telepathically yet, but guessed that if they hadn't contacted him, it probably wasn't. His father had said that his mum's mobile should be safe. She had told him to shut it off earlier so that the Master couldn't track his call, but his mother seemed to have escaped now. And he wasn't sure what else to do. It was starting to get dark, he was hungry, and he was scared.

 

Turning his phone back on, Jamie's finger hovered over the button to dial his mother's phone. His mind battled with the decision for another moment before he pressed the button. The phone rang for quite a while before it picked up.

 

He breathed a sigh of relief until he heard the voice on the other end of the phone.

 

“Why, this must be Jamie,” the Master said too sweetly.

 

Jamie's hearts began to race and fear spiked through him. He was sure his parents would feel his terror, but would they be able to help from wherever they were? He didn't know what to say into the phone so he hung up quickly and powered it down again.

 

Should he run? Was the call long enough for the Master to trace his location? If he opened the door to the warehouse, would he be seen immediately? He wished once again that uncle Jack's Vortex Manipulator hadn't broken down after his jump to London. Or that he had the parts he would need to repair it.

 

Jamie didn't know where else he could go, so while there was a chance that the Master might be able to track where the call had come from, he just huddled down deeper between some boxes and hoped that he wouldn't be found. Silent tears streamed down his cheeks as he wished his parents were with him.

 

Within minutes, there were several Masters searching through the warehouse. It didn't take long for them to find Jamie and he was roughly taken from his hiding place. Without a word to him, Jamie was driven to the Naismith mansion where he came face to face with the original Master.

 

The Master took Jamie's face in his hand and looked him over, turning his head side to side as he considered him. “Definitely more Time Lord than human, but then, your mother isn't entirely human any more, is she?” the Master commented, not really expecting any kind of response from the frightened seven year old.

 

“Have you looked into the Vortex yet, freak?” the Master demanded an answer.

 

Jamie could only manage to shake his head, no.

 

“Good,” he said darkly. After removing the useless Vortex Manipulator, the Master tied Jamie's wrists and ankles, tossing him into the corner of the room containing the Gate.

 

Jamie watched as several Masters entered the room with a box. The one in the black hoodie that had spoken to him earlier, smiled evilly as he looked at whatever was inside it. Then, he set several of his other selves to work building some sort of machine. It took them all night to complete it. Jamie fell asleep for a little while, ignored in the corner, but woke when the sun began to shine through the windows of the large room.

 

The Master who had spoken to him the day before, turned on a broadcast system that would reach the entire planet as well as any ships in orbit and began to speak. Since everyone had been turned into versions of himself, Jamie could only assume that the message was intended for his parents, wherever they were.

 

“A star fell from the sky... don't you want to know where from? Because now it makes sense, Doctor. The whole of my life. My destiny. The star was a diamond... and the diamond is a Whitepoint Star. And I have worked all night to sanctify that gift. Haven't I, Jamie? ... Oh, say hello to daddy. I'm sure he misses you terribly,” the Master announced haughtily.

 

“I'm alright,” Jamie called from his place on the floor. He could feel his parents' fear and worry spike through their bonds with him. 

 

“Now, the star is mine. I can increase the signal and use it as a lifeline. Do you get it now? Do you see? Keep watching, Doctor. This should be... spectacular. Over and out,” the Master said as he cut the broadcast.

 

“Open up the Nuclear Bolt. Infuse the power lines to maximum,” the Master ordered the technician inside a double sided, glass box.

 

“Nuclear bolt accelerating, sir,” the technician replied.

 

“Send the signal back and the link becomes a pathway,” the Master mused as he took a large diamond from yesterday's mystery box and placed it into the machine they had built. “Come home.”

 

\--'-{@ @}-'--

 

On the Vinvocci ship, the Doctor was working to repair everything. He wanted the systems to operate perfectly once he decided it was time to take action. He didn't want to give the green aliens a chance to run away however, so he set the master switch and prepared everything secretly.

 

“Do we have a plan, Doctor? Jamie feels so scared,” Rose said, her voice shaking with emotion.

 

“I can get us back down there, but I don't know what the Master's doing yet. I need to know where to focus an attack to stop him, so I need to be sure before we go. Jamie is scared and so am I, but right now, we are alive and I don't think the Master would hurt or kill Jamie without me there to watch him suffer. And he has to find Jamie first,” the Doctor explained sadly.

 

“Alright... If we were able to shut down the Gate, would everyone turn back? Or are they all stuck that way?” Rose asked. She was trying to figure out if that machine was the 'link' she was supposed to break to save everyone.

 

“No. The machine would have to send out another pulse to change them all back to human. But the Master would have to be disconnected as the template. I'm not sure how to do that other than killing him,” the Doctor admitted.

 

“Ok then. We'll find a way, Doctor. We will find a way to save the world, save Jamie and you are NOT going to die today, my love,” Rose said with tears in her eyes.

 

The Doctor put down the wires he was working on and moved to take Rose in his arms. They stood there, in front of a large window, looking over the Earth that slowly spun below for several minutes. Suddenly, the communication system came to life with an open broadcast.

 

The voice of the Master taunted him with the news of a Whitepoint Star and his capture of Jamie. The Doctor trembled in his wife's arms as all of his worst nightmares began to flash before his eyes.

 

“Doctor, what's a Whitepoint Star?” Rose asked, knowing that she needed to help him to keep calm enough to focus on a solution.

 

“A Whitepoint Star is a diamond only found on one planet. Gallifrey. Which means it's the Time Lords. The Time Lords are returning,” he told his wife, the agony in his voice apparent.

 

“I thought they couldn't get out of the Time Lock, because of the War?” Rose asked him.

 

“If they used the drumbeat in his head as a signal and sent the diamond to Earth as a physical connection, they could pull Gallifrey right through to here and now. But not just the planet, they'd bring the whole of the Time War with them,” he explained in growing horror and building rage.

 

“Then we'd better stop them,” Rose said assuredly. “I think it's time you got us back down there, Doctor.”

 

Together, Rose and the Doctor ran back to the flight deck of the ship. As soon as they entered, the Doctor began to issue orders to their Vinvocci friends, “This is a salvage ship, yes? You go trawling the asteroid fields for junk?”

 

“Yeah, what about it?” the green woman asked, her continued irritation showing.

 

“So, you've got asteroid lasers!” the Doctor announced excitedly.

 

“Yeah, but they're all frazzled,” the man argued.

 

The Doctor threw a large switch and everything powered back up. He told them quickly, “Consider them unfrazzled. You there,” he barked pointing to the green woman, “I need you on navigation, and you, get in the laser-pod.” The last part directed to the other alien.

 

“Rose, I know it's not your area of expertise, but I'll need you on laser number two. Because now they can see us and you've got to fire on all those missiles that will be heading our way,” the Doctor stated as he set the controls to begin the ship's descent.

 

“This is my ship, and you're not moving it. Step away from the wheel,” the woman argued, but the Doctor didn't move.

 

“There's an old Earth saying, Captain. A phrase of great power and wisdom, and consolation to the soul in times of need,” the Doctor told her.

 

“What's that, then?” she sighed in frustration.

 

With a wink to his wife, he shouted, “Allons-y!”

 

The Doctor accelerated the ship towards London and instructed the Vinvocci woman to navigate them back to the Naismith mansion. In the meantime, Rose and the other alien were kept extremely busy firing the lasers at the hundreds of missiles that chased them through the skies. Rose wished it were Mickey in her seat right now. All of the video games he played, were bound to make something like this much easier.

 

When they got closer to the mansion, the Doctor left the Captain to pilot the ship, but instructed her to wait until they were off. He pulled Rose from the laser-pod and ran with her back to the transmat. There wasn't a link, but once they were close enough, he didn't need one, he could send them straight into the building without the ship needing to stop and possibly getting hit by missiles.

 

They materialized in the centre of the room with the Gate. In front of them, stood five Time Lords in regal, burgundy robes. They seemed to be in some kind of white portal in front of the Gate. Behind them, stood the Master with a smug smile on his face. Rose searched the room frantically to find her son. He was sitting on the floor nearby, his wrists and ankles tied with rope.

 

“My Lord Doctor. My Lord Master. We are gathered for the end,” the most regally dressed Time Lord announced from the centre of the Time Lords before them.

 

“Rassilon, listen to me. You can't!” the Doctor pleaded.

 

“It is a fitting paradox that our salvation comes at the hands of our most infamous child,” Rassilon said with a nod towards the Master.

 

“Oh, he's not saving you. Don't you realize what he's doing?” the Doctor said, shaking his head at the stupidity of all of them.

 

“Hey! No, hey! That's mine. Hush,” the Master shushed the Doctor. He wanted to be the one to reveal his perfect plan. “Look around you. I've transplanted myself into every single human being. But who wants a mongrel little species like them, because now I can transplant myself into every single Time Lord. Oh, yes, Mister President, sir... standing there all noble and resplendent and decrepit. Think how much better you're going to look as me!” the Master shouted with a victorious smile and raised his hands.

 

Rassilon raised his hand. On it was a metal gauntlet, which began to glow with an eerie blue light. The Gate released another blast of energy and all of the duplicate Masters began to change back to their normal human states. 

 

“No, no don't! No, no, stop it! No!” the Master shouted as his plan fell to pieces in front of him.

 

“On your knees, mankind,” Rassilon ordered and the people in the room obeyed in confusion.

 

“No, that's fine, that's good... because you said salvation. I still saved you. Don't forget that,” the Master called to Rassilon, grasping desperately at any remaining control over the situation.

 

“The approach begins,” Rassilon breathed and raised his arms in welcome as a huge planet began to appear in the sky above them.

 

“Approach of what?” the Master asked confusedly. 

 

“Something is returning. Don't you ever listen?” the Doctor chastised him. “Not someone, someTHING.”

 

“What is it?” the Master questioned, still not understanding what was happening.

 

“They're not just bringing back the Time Lords. It's Gallifrey. Right here, right now,” the Doctor replied angrily as he held Rose's hand tightly.

 

Rose looked around the room, trying to formulate some sort of plan. She was supposed to cut some sort of link, but she wasn't quite sure where the link would be that was connecting the Time Lords and Gallifrey to the Earth. 

 

The room shook as earthquakes began due to the gravitational forces of a huge planet suddenly appearing in the sky. If Rose couldn't break the connection, Gallifrey's arrival would shake the Earth to pieces.

 

The newly transformed humans started to panic and ran from the room. Jamie saw a woman trapped in a glass box near him, trying to get out. Wanting to do his part to save people, he wriggled his way into the other side of the enclosure and pushed his way up to a standing position so he could press the button, releasing her door. She ran away without a second glance and he sat back on the floor to look out at his parents again, now trapped inside the cubicle until his father could get him out.

 

“But, I did this. I get the credit. I'm on your side,” the Master told Rassilon. “But this is fantastic, isn't it? The Time Lords restored.”

 

The Doctor shook his head sadly as he explained what his one-time friend did not yet understand. “You weren't there in the final days of the War. You never saw what was born. But if the Time Lock's broken, then everything's coming through. Not just the Daleks, but the Skaro Degradations, the Horde of Travesties, the Nightmare Child, the Could-Have-Been King with his army of Meanwhiles and Neverweres. The War turned into hell. And that's what you've opened, right above the Earth. Hell is descending,” the Doctor explained with anger and anguish oozing from his pores.

 

“My kind of world,” the Master said maniacally, as if that was his plan all along. But a hint of fear also showed in his eyes.

 

“Just listen! Because even the Time Lords can't survive that!” the Doctor explained.

 

“We will initiate the Final Sanction. The end of time will come at my hand. The rupture will continue until it rips the Time Vortex apart,” Rassilon announced with a snarl.

 

“That's suicide,” the Master argued, confused as to how that would be salvation.

 

“We will ascend to become creatures of consciousness alone. Free of these bodies, free of time, and cause and effect, while creation itself ceases to be,” Rassilon proclaimed.

 

“You see now? That's what they were planning in the final days of the War. I had to stop them,” the Doctor concluded, hoping that now the Master would understand.

 

Rose felt her heart breaking for her husband. He had blamed himself for the destruction of his home world since the day she had met him. Now, he would have to do it all over again or it would have been in vain. She suddenly noticed one of the Time Ladies that had been covering her face, lowered her hands and their gazes met. It was the woman from her dreams... the woman she was sure had to be the Doctor's mother. The woman glanced behind Rose to the tall machine that was glowing and humming, with a large white diamond perched in the centre.

 

Rose nodded to her and gave her a small smile of thanks. Turning, she quietly made her way closer to the device; she didn't want anyone to notice her... yet.

 

“Take me with you, Lord President. Let me ascend into glory,” the Master requested.

 

“You are diseased, albeit a disease of our own making. No more,” Rassilon denied him.

 

“No more,” Rose agreed loudly, announcing her presence. Her husband turned to look on her in shock.

 

“Who is this creature?” Rassilon sneered at her.

 

“I am the Bad Wolf. I am the Doctor's wife. And I will not allow you to destroy the universe today. Together, we have saved creation too many times to allow one such as you to undo all of that. I have swallowed the Time Vortex and survived. I destroyed the Dalek Emperor with a wave of my hand. And I will stop you,” Rose proclaimed and with a spectacular backflip, cartwheel and a mighty kick, Rose sent the machine housing the Whitepoint Star crashing to the floor in a shower of sparks.

 

A cold wind began to flow through the room and into the white portal as the Time Lords were sucked back into the Time Lock. The Doctor moved to help Rose back to her feet after her spectacular, gold medal worthy display of acrobatics.

 

Together they turned to face the Lord President as the Doctor said, “The link is broken. Back into the Time War, Rassilon. Back into hell.”

 

“You'll die with me, Doctor,” Rassilon snarled at him as he raised his gauntlet threateningly.

 

“I know,” the Doctor admitted sadly.

 

The Master, however, rubbed his hands together as he had before when attacking the Doctor and said, “Get out of the way.” The Doctor and the Master stared at each other for one second. And in that second, the Doctor saw the man that had been his friend emerge once more.

 

With a blast of sparking energy, the Master attacked Rassilon and shouted at him, “You did this to me! All of my life! You made me! One! Two! Three! Four!”

 

With that, the Master and all of the other Time Lords that had been standing in the portal disappeared. Gallifrey faded from the sky and the tremors stopped. The room was eerily silent as the Doctor fell to his knees and began to sob. Rose wrapped her arms around his shoulders supportively.

 

“I'm alive... there was... I'm still alive,” the Doctor cried.

 

But Rose and the Doctor stiffened suddenly when they heard four gentle knocks on a glass surface. Tears began to fall from Rose's eyes as the Doctor began to tremble again.

 

“Daddy, can you get me out of here please? I think the Nuclear Bolt is going into overload,” Jamie said softly. They both looked up to see their son trapped in the Nuclear Bolt control box, that could only be opened one side at a time, always requiring one occupant. Unfortunately, that was now Jamie.

 

“Oh, Jamie,” the Doctor breathed harshly. His shoulders shook with silent sobs as his sacrifice finally revealed itself. “You're worth it, son. The glass will contain the radiation, but I can't shut it down. When I push that button, Rose, get him out of there and shut the door.”

 

“Doctor,” Rose gasped sadly as she gazed into his beautiful brown eyes for what would likely be the last time. She knew he could regenerate from this, but he had told her that it still felt like dying. “I will still love you and I will miss this you for as long as I live.”

 

He pulled her into a passionate kiss, rubbing his hands up and down her back in desperation. This was goodbye, even if a new man would walk away, still him... yet not. When he pulled away from his wife, he didn't look at her or Jamie again. Dashing into the other side of the enclosure, he said, “Better be quick.”

 

When Rose was in place to pull Jamie out, he counted down and pressed the button. He flinched in pain as his body was flooded with five hundred thousand rads of toxic radiation. His knees gave out as he curled up on the floor. He absorbed it all and felt the beginning tingles of regeneration burning inside of him.

 

Rose and Jamie sat outside of the chamber as Rose untied her son's wrists and ankles. They watched with tears streaming down their faces as the Doctor sacrificed one of his lives to save Jamie. He looked up at them sadly and pushed open the door, once it released after the system's radiation levels had ceased.

 

“I need to get back to the TARDIS. I can hold it off for now, but the process goes more smoothly when I'm inside the ship,” the Doctor told them, pushing himself painfully to his feet.

 

“That was smooth, last time?” Rose asked teasingly as she tried to lighten their sombre moods. He gave her a sad smile and leaned heavily on both of them as they made their way back to their beloved time ship.

 

Reaching painfully for his sonic screwdriver, the Doctor made the ship reappear so that they could enter together. He moved to the controls and sent the TARDIS into flight before sitting with them on the jump seat. He took their hands in his as he considered what needed to be said.

 

“It's my fault, daddy. I'm sorry,” Jamie said as he broke down and started sobbing.

 

“No! No, Jamie. Don't you dare blame yourself for this. Tell me why you went into the chamber to begin with,” the Doctor insisted and wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders.

 

Jamie was gasping for air through his tears and Rose rubbed his back to help him calm down enough to explain. Finally, he said, “I... I saw that someone was trapped inside and wanted to get out. You're always saving people and I wanted to save someone too.”

 

“And _that_ is why I don't want you blaming yourself for this. Not for one second. You didn't know that I wouldn't be able to just get you out of there safely afterward. You just wanted to help someone and I don't ever want you to question helping. That is what we _do_. What we always do. And you are worth it, just like your mother's life was worth my last one,” the Doctor said with a small chuckle.

 

“We love you very much, Jamie. And your father and I will do anything to keep you safe, alright?” Rose added. Jamie nodded and wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

 

“Now, once we get settled again after my regeneration. We are going to prepare you to look into the Vortex. That will unlock your ability to regenerate, so that you will be safer in the life threatening situations that we often find ourselves in. We've been playing it safe, but now that you're getting older, we've got a universe to keep an eye on. It's our job as the last two Time Lords and our precious Bad Wolf, right?” the Doctor asked his son as he helped the young man understand. He brushed the unruly hair from Jamie's eyes and tipped his chin up to meet his gaze.

 

“Right,” Rose and Jamie agreed together, sharing a small smile.

 

“I've been holding back this regeneration for a while now. It might be a little rough,” the Doctor warned them as the familiar soft golden glow flickered over his skin.

 

“We'll be fine, love. And we'll be here to help you get through it,” Rose told him as she caressed his freckled face one last time, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

 

He urged them to stay back as he moved closer to the doors. Rose hugged Jamie tightly as they stood by the jump seat and watched as the Doctor's hands began to glow brighter than before.

 

“I love you both. I don't want to go,” the Doctor told them with tears in his eyes and in a burst of golden fire, he began his rebirth. He was screaming in pain as he changed and the console room exploded into flames from the energy of the transformation. Rose and Jamie huddled together as they tried to avoid the sparks and flames that flew around them. They threw themselves from the seat and onto the grating nearby as they were almost crushed by a falling coral strut. Once safe, they peered aroudn the console to see that the golden flames had finished their work.

 

“Legs! I've still got legs,” he said as he rubbed them both in assurance. “Good. Arms, hands, oooh, fingers. Lots of fingers. Ears, yes. Eyes, two. Nose?” he questioned as he touched the parts of his face in turn and upon inspection decided, “I've had worse.”

 

“Chin.. blimey! Hair,” he evaluated it and upon feeling it's length, exclaimed, “I'm a girl!”

 

Rose giggled slightly at his antics as she watched this new version of her husband discovering himself. He was still tall, but looked even younger than before. His hair was still thick and she couldn't wait to run her fingers through it. Jamie watched him curiously, never having seen a regeneration before.

 

Feeling more of his neck and body, he decided, “No. No, I'm not a girl. And still not ginger! And something else... something important... I'm... I'm, I'm...”

 

There was a huge bang then, as a piece of the coral struts fell to the floor dangerously.

 

“Crashing!” he yelled gleefully as if this sort of excitement was just what he wanted. “Rose! Jamie! Ha ha!!” he cried as he moved to the TARDIS controls. He looked over at them and with a smile added, “Geronimo!!”


End file.
